


Determined Pursuits

by jcause



Series: Flee Or Ascend [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/F, Mystery, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-01-18 04:11:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12380643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jcause/pseuds/jcause
Summary: Sequel to Can't Go It Alone.Agent Alex Danvers' universe has been turned upside down. Maggie Sawyer walked back into her life and her heart opened to the possibility of happiness but just as things began to show promise events left more than broken bones. With everything so uncertain, Alex starts to find it hard to maintain professional distance in the hunt for those responsible for what happened. As the investigation intensifies will Alex's myopic focus push away those around her?  Will her need for answers walk her down the path of revenge, a path that could have dire consequences?  How can the team at the DEO possibly take down a shadow conspiracy when all they have are more questions?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Supergirl and the characters connected with it aren't mine. I’m just playing with them for a little while.

Determined Pursuits

Sitting in the booth towards the back of McConners, Alex Danvers had been early. It was a luxury to be out of the office at this hour although par for the course since the attack on the President. Information and division of the workload was far more controlled than normal and even she was being left out the loop. Her high security clearance was essentially useless. An investigation such as this one would have previously had her directly involved but instead she was getting really good at signing off on backlogged reports on other hostile events while only a select few agents, mostly in the forensics and cyber divisions, dug through the evidence. 

It wasn't like everything regarding the park was being kept from her but her access to A'Daire and Abbott was absolutely forbidden. As far as the rest of the details surrounding the attack, Alex knew that the individuals cleared of intentional wrongdoing were released. The ones discovered colluding were remaining guests of the DEO and Alex wasn't being allowed access to any of them either. It was frustrating to be benched, especially from the interrogations, but if she was honest with herself it was probably for the best. 

Her reputation since Supergirl's arrival had gone from a measured, almost cautious, agent to one who did whatever it took to complete the mission. Alex didn't like to dwell on why she had changed but the assessment was accurate. Coupling that 'determination' with what had happened in the park and her interrogation tactics would have included as many threats as questions and some breaking of the rules when it came to the rights of the suspects. It was wise of J’onn, and she imagined Lucy, to keep her away. Understanding the 'why' didn't diminish her frustration though, so Alex was spending a lot of time training at the gym or, like her sister referred to it, hitting things. Evenings were spent distracting herself watching movies and enjoying more than one whisky on the rocks or as Alex referred to it, unwinding. 

Despite the decision from those up the chain, Alex hadn’t entirely remained on the sideline, even trying to gain access to the footage the DEO had collected of the day at the park. She thought searching for them late one Friday evening might have worked but got busted by Winn Schott who had, it seemed, the same lack of a social life as Alex. He promised not to turn her in but also locked her out of the files. Undeterred, Alex also went to Susan Vasquez who would only tell her that media coverage was proving useless and the parks CTV hadn't yet produced a helpful angle of the one moment Alex was most interested in learning more about. The reviewed surveillance involving Maggie and A'Daire was from behind so all they could see was A'Daire's hand touching Maggie’s shoulder. Vasquez was honest that they had worked almost all the magic they could and wasn’t very optimistic that they would get a break so Alex begged Kara to enlist Oracle to see if the hacker might have better luck. After some arguing with J'onn, Kara's intervention proved successful and now they would wait to see what Oracle might extrapolate. So all Alex could do was hope for a miracle both with the case and with where she hoped dinner might lead.

From the moment Alex had arrived at the restaurant, Dhara had been hovering while Terry had brought over the water she asked for and then left her alone. The drink and the hovering were both equally appreciated although at the twenty-minute mark, still sitting alone, Alex wished the drink had been stronger. No sooner having finished the water, Terry appeared again. This time, as if he could read minds, with a bottle and a small rocks glass in hand. He put the glass down in front of her and then opened the bottle. Catching sight of the label, and knowing a thing or two about Whisky, Alex began to protest. "Terry, I couldn't possibly."

"Nonsense," he said, as he poured. "My father taught me that something like this is meant to be enjoyed and considering what you did out there, I can't think of a better person to enjoy it."

"It's too generous."

Terry grinned at her and shook his head. "Just say, 'Thank You'."

"Thank you," Alex relented.

"You're welcome." Picking up her empty water glass, he headed back into the kitchen, taking the very expensive bottle with him as well. 

Alex lifted the drink and let the rich, smooth liquid run over her tongue before swallowing. This was something to be savored as it warmed her insides. She hated to think how much that bottle cost and was very grateful to Terry for the opportunity to try it. Not even the most expensive bottle she had in her apartment, a birthday gift from Kara during the year she first started working at CatCo, came close to the value of what she was currently enjoying. Glancing at her watch the time continued to tick forward. Alex was pretty sure that after she finished the drink she would be calling a car to take her home since she was still sitting alone and there was nothing she hated more than being out in public at a table for one.

It was during her third sip that the door to the restaurant opened, catching Alex's attention. Maggie Sawyer walked in and another kind of warmth rose within Alex. Years earlier it was warmth she had run far away from but now she wanted in her life no matter the cost. 

Dressed in sweatpants and a zippered hoodie, the detective looked better than the last time Alex had seen her. As Maggie unzipped and removed the jacket, revealing a loose fitting black t-shirt, Alex saw an intricate looking metal and fabric contraption holding her arm against her body. It replaced the brace Maggie had been wearing when she left the hospital and wasn’t nearly as dramatic but was still more than a simple shoulder sling. There were signs of improvement but Maggie wasn't completely back to normal as the condition of her arm and shoulder weren't the only sign of her injuries. Maggie had walked in with a slight limp moving slower than normal. Her face and other arm were still covered with some deep bruising from the fighting. The guilt that Alex had tried to bury returned seeing the bruises and knowing many were her doing. 

"Maggie," Dhara yelled as she ran to the front door from where she had been taking an order at a nearby table. 

Having been on the receiving end of a tight hug from the woman when she had arrived, Alex thought it a good thing Maggie's injuries were obvious as to keep the restaurant owner from squeezing the life out of her. Thankfully, Dhara instead began doting on Maggie like a mother at the holidays. Alex considered intervening but decided against it since the appreciation Maggie was getting for the part she played in protecting the President was deserved. 

The media narrative hadn't identified her, thanks in large part to Kara convincing Cat Grant that exposing Maggie by name might make her even more of a target than she already was to those who saw her as their enemy. Although names didn't appear in the press that didn't stop the owners of her favorite restaurant from knowing, the moment they saw the coverage, who was running towards danger to help. If only the same footage could give them clues as to how A'Daire had captured Maggie's brain. 

Watching her talk with Dhara, Alex wondered why the original offer of meeting up for a meal had been postponed numerous times over the past two and a half weeks. Maybe Maggie was back to wanting to put the breaks on between them? Or maybe Alex's was just making too much of the plans changing and it was nothing? Whatever the reasoning Alex had been annoyed by the silent treatment but was now feeling torn as Maggie looked over and smiled at her. Her dimples, Alex decided, were magical and the warmth returned. Alex couldn’t help but smile back. 

Maggie gave a tiny nod and began moving towards the booth. Trying not to stare as the Detective limped her way to the table, the drink before Alex made an ideal prop as she took another sip. 

"Hey, Danvers. Thanks for meeting me."

Alex kept the disappointment off her face at the formal way that Maggie had addressed her and instead countering with a casual retort of her own. "Glad you called, Sawyer. How are you feeling?"

"About as good as you might expect from looking at me," Maggie offered as she took a seat in the chair across from Alex instead of sliding into the booth next to her. 

Alex didn't read anything into the meaning behind the distance she placed between them, as Maggie’s injuries would have made the movement into the booth difficult. "J'onn said you're starting physical therapy at the DEO tomorrow."

"I am. It was kind of him to have arranged it."

"Our team includes some of the best in the country and it's the least we can do."

"It's appreciated and so was him extending my temporary assignment with the DEO. It makes it easier to keep a low profile."

"The DEO needs you on the case."

Maggie shrugged. "I'm not going to be much help."

"Your injuries haven't grounded your instincts. We need that as much, if not more right now."

The look Maggie gave Alex made it clear she had picked up on the defeatist tone. "Still no leads?"

Alex shook her head. There was no point keeping things from Maggie.

"They aren't talking?"

"They aren't talking. But we’re working hard to find answers."

"Any luck with the footage?"

"Not as of yet but the team will get there."

"Nothing?" Maggie questioned, the defeatist tone now her's instead, which was understandable considering what A'Daire had done to her.

"We have the best people on it."

"I was hoping for some good news."

Alex smiled. "Oracle is lending a hand thanks to a call from Supergirl. That's good news in my book after how much help was provided already."

"Oracle is the best but if the DEO nerds couldn't get even a hint of something… I don't hold out much hope for my contact to do any better."

"A'Daire and Abbott aren't going anywhere. We will figure it out."

"In the meantime?"

"You work on getting better,” Alex offered with the kind of optimism that she and her sister were so good at tapping into. 

"While going stir crazy."

"Rehabilitation should help with that. Get you out of the house some more."

Maggie nodded but avoided eye contact and then reached across the table with her good arm and took the rock glass of whisky. She then took a sip, her body giving a little shiver as she did. 

"We'll solve this."

"Now your optimism is teetering on the annoying," Maggie replied with a dry tone but a smile that brought out her dimples again. 

"It's a Danvers' thing."

Maggie’s smile widened, seemingly despite herself. "How is your sister? The pieces she's been writing for CatCo must be making waves."

Alex returned the smile, the compliment increasing her own pride in Kara's recent work. “She’s good. The team at CatCo has been working around the clock to try and help dig up what they can.”

"Thanks to whomever was responsible for leaving me out of the coverage."

"It's also a Danver's thing. We are pretty good at persuasion," Alex offered with a little more heat in her tone than she intended. "Maggie, you still need to be careful. They knew enough before to vandalize your place. We have to assume the CatCo series on these murders leads them to you even with your name left out of it. Plus the news footage... if Terry and Dhara figured it out, we have to assume those running this thing reached the same conclusion."

"Cross that bridge when we get to it."

"You need to be extra careful."

"I am, Alex," Maggie replied defensively. 

“Good.” Alex dialed back her worry. “Any contact from NCPD?"

"One gal from IT who I think has a crush on me and a beat cop I helped out of jam when I first landed in National City. They figured it out from the coverage."

Fear washed over Alex as Maggie proved her earlier point but she didn’t let it show. "No one else?"

"No, but we both know they know." Maggie shrugged again and took another sip of Alex's drink. "I'll be looking for a new job when this is all over."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Alex countered, using Maggie's earlier words and then waved down Dhara with one hand as she snatched back her drink with the other and finished it. "Don't imagine you should be drinking with your pain meds."

"I'm not taking them anymore."

"Maggie?"

"Not a fan."

"They were prescribed to help you."

"And I appreciated having them when it was really bad but I'm not a fan of prescription drugs."

The confession seemed loaded but before Alex could dig any further Dhara appeared at the table. 

"What can I get you two? Everything on the menu is on the house."

"You don't have to. It's not necessary," the pair of them said in unison. 

"Nonsense, you are heroes. It is on the house and I will not take your money if you try to leave it."

"Thank you," Alex said as Maggie pouted. "Can we have a minute with the menus?"

Dhara handed two over and smiled. "Take your time." She then walked away but not without casting another look at the table.

Alex opened her menu and kept her eyes on the page as she spoke. "So what are you having?"

"Been craving just about all of it."

"Haven't you been here every day since you were released?"

"No."

Alex looked up from the specials. "Why not?"

"Haven't left the house."

"I know we stocked your fridge but no way you went this long with what we brought over."

Maggie kept turning pages. "Just haven't had much of an appetite."

"You need to keep up your strength."

Looking up from the menu, Maggie had her serious face on. "I've not been starving myself, Alex. When I was taking the meds I slept a lot."

Alex didn't want to sound like she was scolding Maggie again so she turned the conversation in another direction. "How have you been managing?"

Maggie took a deep breath and closed her menu. "Good thing Dr. Snow has the temperament of a saint. I'm a terrible patient."

"I recall."

Maggie’s smile returned and Alex’s nerves settled. "You aren't exactly the best sick person either."

"One time. One time I spent a weekend being miserable."

"Miserable, temperamental, needy..." Maggie teased. 

Alex smiled as she closed her menu. "While still being cute and cuddly."

Maggie's eyebrows went up, telegraphing more than just disagreement. "So much so I caught it the second you were better."

Alex blushed and gave a tiny shrug. They gazed at one another for a moment. "Talk to me. How are you, really?"

"Everything hurts," Maggie confessed. 

"Why didn't you call?" Alex asked, the honesty hitting her hard. She reached over and laid her hand onto Maggie's uninjured wrist.

"This is hard for me."

"So you said in the hospital but after we talked..."

"I woke up twelve hours later and was back to square one. Being in National City feels right…"

"And meeting me tonight?"

"I’m getting there, Alex." Maggie confessed with a sincere smile. "I promise."

"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere. Just don't lock me out, okay?"

"I'm really trying."

Alex nodded again. "I know."

\---

The meal was delicious and the evening eventually settled in. There was casual talk of world events and what little information Alex knew of the investigation. Maggie had filled Alex in on the call she got from the White House. They still wanted to plan a visit and photo op but agreed it was best to wait until the entire case was closed for safety reasons. The rest of the night had been, in a word, nice. Alex knew getting back to where they were before the events in the park was a while off but she was glad to have Maggie back in her life in a more tangible way and hoped the evening was a sign there would be more nights like this one. 

As promised, Dhara and Terry refused payment, including a tip, even with him bringing the expensive bottle around to the table a second time to pour them both a drink. 

After saying their goodbyes, Alex insisted on walking Maggie back to her place. The neighborhood was safe but it was late and Alex wanted to be sure she got home okay. She also didn’t exactly want the night to end. 

As they walked along the street that headed back towards Maggie's apartment they got into an easy rhythm with one another. Alex had been fighting the urge to take the other woman's hand but just as she was about to Maggie had broken the silence.

"There might be someone who can help but it's a long shot."

"I'll take a long shot at this point,” Alex replied. “Who is it?"

Maggie had that investigative sparkle in her eye. "A case worker. Works with Metas, specializes in it." 

"You think they might know something?"

"If the community knows something they might have shared what they’ve heard. They trust him.”

"Would he talk to us?"

"He might. I can reach out when I get home."

A smirk formed on Alex’s lips. “I told you.”

“Told me what?”

Alex’s smile widened. “Your instincts are invaluable." 

Maggie shrugged. "It's one possible lead."

"Only takes one, Maggie.” Alex’s voice filled with more than just appreciation and for a split second the air between them grew heavy, loaded with the tension that had been present before the park and A’Daire’s violation of the Detective’s mind. Neither one of them moved until the moment was punctuated by the sound of a car backfiring and Alex found herself being body checked hard into the side of the bodega they had been standing near. The rush of adrenaline started to make Alex laugh even as her heart was racing. Maggie's body was pressed against her, turned just enough that the brace was to Alex's side and likely meant the impact hadn't done any more damage to the detective. Their eyes were then locked on one another even though it was as if Maggie was seeing through her. 

Fear rose in Alex as she noticed the signs of posttraumatic stress written all over Maggie’s face. "It's okay. It was only a car backfiring."

Maggie's breathing was rapid, the fear, in her eyes, growing. She nodded but didn't move.

"Maggie, look at me," Alex continued while carefully laying a hand on the other woman's cheek. "It's okay."

A couple seconds passed and then Maggie blinked slowly, her eyes refocusing on Alex's. She then took a step back. 

Alex waited a moment and then also took a small step forward and away from the wall. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"I'm fine."

"You could have hurt yourself."

"I didn't,” Maggie’s eyes darting down the alley they were standing in front of and the street they were on.

"Everything is okay it was only a car."

"Next time it might not be.” Maggie shouted, obviously more out of fear than malice. “You better be wearing your vest, Alex. Until we put an end to this there are targets on all of us."

"I never leave home without it.”

“Good,” Maggie’s fear seeming to settle some. 

“But, hey, you should stop throwing yourself into harms way, okay? 

Maggie nodded but her eyes were elsewhere again. 

Alex decided the hell with professional distance. Afraid of what she saw before her, she reached over and took Maggie's uninjured hand and held it. "Hey, look at me."

Maggie's eyes floated back to Alex's, the tears glistening in her eyes, fighting to fall.

"Take a few breaths. I'm right here."

Maggie did as she was told. The pair of them standing in the streetlight, holding hands, as they took the time Maggie needed to calm. The detective closed the distance between them, their bodies as close as they could manage with the brace. Alex fought off the urge to capture the other woman's lips but her eyes betrayed what her mind, or maybe it was her heart, was thinking as she glanced down at them instead. 

Maggie must have caught the look as mirrored it but then just as quickly as the moment came it was gone. Breaking the spell, Maggie stepped back. "I should get home." 

Alex nodded knowing this wasn’t yet the time to complicate things further. Maggie needed to heal and as fast as her own heart was racing Alex couldn’t imagine the jumble of emotions Maggie was dealing with considering everything that had happened. Even though Alex was determined to go slow that didn’t mean she was going to drop Maggie’s hand. She needed Maggie to know she wasn’t alone and so they ended up walking the rest of the way with their fingers intertwined. 

\---

Entering into her small empty apartment, Alex threw her keys on the counter and then made a beeline to the Whisky bottle sitting on the side of her fridge. Grabbing a glass, she skipped the ice, and poured herself only enough to calm her nerves. Taking a sip she to tried to chase off her own PTSD and her concern over Maggie's reaction to the backfiring car. Maggie had thrown herself between Alex and the noise, which was both incredibly brave, borderline romantic, and unacceptably stupid. 

Setting the glass down for a second Alex tossed her coat on the chair and then went back to retrieve the glass. Heading to her dresser, she then tossed a t-shirt and underwear on the bed, unbuttoned her shirt and dropped it into the hamper in her closet. Catching herself in the full-length mirror, the bruising from that day in the park was still evident on her pale skin and her black sports bra highlighted her lie to Maggie. 

Leaving the DEO early, and feeling separated from the investigation, Alex hadn't been wearing her vest. It didn't feel necessary. Alex felt guilty about the white lie but Maggie had enough to worry about without having to be concerned about Alex's safety. Alex also didn’t want the reveal starting a fight between them.

Throwing on comfy clothes to sleep in, Alex then finished her drink. As she dropped the glass into the dishwasher her cellphone rang. Grabbing it, she saw who it was and grew immediately concerned, "Is everything okay, Maggie?"

"I'm good. Just wanted to say I spoke to my contact. They're willing to meet. I'll send you the details."

"Great,” Maggie offered, disappointed the call had been work related. “Thanks."

"No problems." There was an awkward silence and then Maggie continued. "Alex?"

"Yeah."

"About tonight.” There was more silence. “Thank you."

Alex’s heart immediately began to race. "No need to thank me. Dinner was great and it was wonderful to see you. I should be thanking you."

"More than just dinner, Alex. All of it. Just… I need… just, thank you."

The intimacy of the bumbled admission caused tears to well in Alex’s eyes. "You're welcome. Now get some rest. Big day tomorrow.”

“Right. DEO physical therapy.”

Alex wasn’t sure if Maggie was grateful for the escape hatch from her emotions or if the diversion was the wrong call. “Hey, I'm around if you want to talk after or grab dinner or just go somewhere and do something. Look, whatever you, need, I'm here for you."

"I know and it means a lot..."

The silence returned which Alex took as a sign to help things along. “Like I said at dinner. Whatever you need.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

As they hung up the phone, Alex fought the urge to pour another drink and was glad she hadn’t said what she really wanted to say. There would be time for that once Maggie was on more solid ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As the door opened, standing in the small empty office, Supergirl moved her hands to her hips. 

"Jesus!" After quickly shutting the door behind him, a tall man, wearing a baseball cap and with headphones on, caught his breath and repeated his exclamation. "Jesus."

"Sorry for startling you. I'm looking for Joe West?"

"You found him. And unless that is really good Cosplay, you are… Supergirl?"

She smiled at the kind looking stranger. "Maggie Sawyer suggested we speak."

Shock crossed his kind face. "Mags neglected to say it would be you dropping in. You know, you're lucky I'm not one for carrying a weapon," he said as he removed the cap he was wearing, tossed it onto the file cabinet he was standing next to, and then rolled up his headphones and shoved them into the pocket of his grey sports jacket.

Supergirl shrugged. "Would've been okay. Bulletproof."

An eyebrow rose. "Still would have drawn attention to your visit. Shooting a weapon and all."

"Didn't want to rattle any of your clients or draw attention to you by making my visit formal. Sorry if I caught you off guard."

"Appreciated. Next time maybe send someone less conspicuous."

Supergirl laughed. "Noted."

"So, Mags was vague when we spoke. How can I be of assistance? I'm assuming it's about what happened at the park?"

"She said you were smart." 

"Most of the time too smart for my own good," he asked as he slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks. "What are you looking for?"

"Anything that might help us identify who might be behind the attacks on the Meta community?"

"A tall order to be giving a meager caseworker."

"Maggie said you help the community."

"I do but I'm not exactly the mayor of Metaland."

"But you haven't sent me away."

"She's bulletproof and astute," he said with a wide smile that probably had broken a few hearts. Joe moved to the file cabinet that his hat was sitting on and opened it. Pulling the files to make a gap he reached in and then pulled something out of the cabinet before shutting it. In his hand was a small cigar box, which he dropped onto the corner of his desk. Opening it he pulled out six cigars and laid them on the table and then pulled out one from the bottom row, shook it, and then placed the other six back in the box. The rattling noise Supergirl heard signaled the plastic tube wasn't holding a cigar. 

West handed the tube over. "This might be of interest."

Supergirl nodded and took what he was offering her. 

"There are some very angry and scared Metas who've had enough. It's not much but it might be something to open areas of inquiry."

"Thank you, Mr. West."

"It's Joe. Mr. West was my dad and he was a bastard."

"Thank you, Joe."

"You're welcome, Supergirl. Thanks for trying to help. The community needs all the support they can get."

"Tell them we are trying our best to put an end to what's been happening."

"I hope you're successful. There's been enough hate stirred in my lifetime."

Supergirl moved to the window of the office but was struck by his words and stopped. She turned back, curiosity getting the better of her. "Joe?"

"Yep."

"What drew you to helping Metas?"

"My dad wasn't the only bastard in my family. I used to be a pretty big prick. When that particle explosion thing happened a couple years back and tons of people's lives changed overnight my daughter was among those affected. It changed everything. Woke me up, I suppose. Saw things differently. Realized I had fallen into a trap that a couple decades ago I would have been used to set. Gave my life a focus, a purpose."

"Is she okay?"

"My daughter,” he questioned with a giant smile on his face. “She's amazing. Got out of National City. Living in Kansas, of all places."

"May I ask? How was she affected?"

"Speed. It's why she left the city. Things around here, too confining," he said as the pride in his voice added a note of melancholy. "She can work from wherever so she bought a bunch of land. Wide open space to run."

"Sounds like you miss her."

"Every day."

"You could have gone with her."

"All that peace and quiet? Too much for me. I like the chaos of a big city. It's better this way. Besides, given her gift, she can visit any time with no effort."

"I hope to meet her someday. Thanks for this," Kara said, as she slid the cigar tube under the sleeve of her suit. "Be safe."

"I'll do my best. Supergirl?"

"Yes?"

"Mind doing me a favor?"

"What is it you need?"

His hands went back into his pockets. "Keep an eye on Mags. I was at the park that day. I saw everything that happened. She might be acting tough but after all that, there is no way she's forgiven herself. The damage to her body will heal but the rest won't unless she deals with things."

"I promise to have her back."

"Thanks. She's the best cop in the city, smart, fair, and has a big heart. National City needs her."

It was nice to hear someone else give Detective Sawyer a glowing review. "Same goes for you. The world needs as many people with your compassion as we can get.”

"Lines are being drawn in the sand. The time for standing on the sidelines is over. We all need to tap into our better nature. If I hear anything more I'll let Mags know."

Nodding at him, Supergirl levitated and took off towards headquarters glad to have met yet another of the good guys. 

\---

Landing at the command center, Supergirl nodded at three agents coming up the stairs towards her, all nodded back, very formally, like the fresh new recruits that they were. Kara respected the formality but preferred the more casual energy of those she spent the most time interacting with at the DEO. She supposed it was because one of the things she loved the most about humans was their capacity for whimsy. Of her circle, Susan Vasquez was the most formal of the bunch but even she had moments of humor, which as Supergirl approached the workstations she noticed were currently on full display. It sounded as if Vasquez had just accomplished something that Winn had been convinced was impossible and was rubbing it in like a rich football player who cared less about being fined and so was in the end zone dancing.

"Never underestimate, Agent Vasquez's determination," Supergirl said as she reached the agent and her old friend. 

Defeat crossed Winn's face. "Fine. A bet is a bet. I’m buying the coffee for the rest of the month, even if you did hustle me."

"Like Supergirl said, your mistake was underestimating me," Vasquez gloated while spinning in her chair. 

Kara laughed. It was nice to see Vasquez having fun with the newest addition to her team but more so it was wonderful to see Winn having coworkers and tasks that challenged him. She imagined CatCo had its interesting moments but was mainly just maintenance work. At the DEO, Winn's skill set was going to be better appreciated and would continue to improve as he made the impossible, possible. 

Kara pulled the tube from the sleeve of her suit. "How about double or nothing, you two?"

Winn rose from his chair with excitement on his face. "What you got?" 

Kara handed the container over to Agent Vasquez. 

"Cuban?" Winn asked, very confused.

Susan shook the tube. "Thinking more Silicon Valley."

The assessment spot on, Kara winked at the agent. "Careful Winn. She's liable to win round two."

"Nope. Not this time. Where's it from?"

"A source of Detective Sawyer's. You should probably run whatever tests you do to make sure it's safe before dropping it on the DEO servers but it's supposed to help point us in the right direction."

Winn nodded. "Will do."

"Already doing," Vasquez teased having removed the chip and dropped it into some kind of box that was sitting in the slide drawer of her workstation. 

"I'll leave you two to it. Behave yourselves. I need to go check in with Alex."

"When you're done," Vasquez interjected. "What you requested is ready for a test run."

"I'll drop back by after she and I talk."

"We'll be here," Winn replied as he sat back down and started typing. 

\---

Alex hadn't slept much the night before and it was making it very difficult to pore over the files that were up on her screen. The eyestrain felt more like she had been reading for twelve hours instead of three and she kept looking at her watch. Maggie was due in soon for her first physical therapy session. So not only was the work monotonous but with Maggie's arrival imminent, Alex found she was preoccupied. 

There was no way Alex could drop in on her session but she needed to see for herself that Maggie was feeling positive after the first day of physical therapy. More so she wanted to know that Maggie had calmed from the night before. There was going to be a lot of work involved with the physical injuries but she was pretty certain the mental ones might be running deeper at the moment.

Alex thought about finding a way to whisper to J'onn that maybe a therapist of another kind might be a good idea but it felt like a betrayal to do so. Perhaps he would unintentionally get a sense of what Maggie was going through and offer to help. If not, Alex had to hope Maggie was self-aware enough to want to work on that piece of things. 

"Hey, Alex," Kara said, in full Supergirl mode, from the doorway of the small office that Alex had taken as her own. 

Pulled from her thoughts, Alex turned to her sister. "Everything go okay with the contact Maggie gave us?"

"Yeah. Nice guy. I've got Susan and Winn running what he handed over. He was clear that it was likely not earth shattering but might help focus some of our inquiries. Anything new with the footage?"

Alex closed the file she had up on her screen and turned her complete attention to her sister. "Your new pal Oracle hasn't reached back out. Just have to hope something pops because it doesn't look like A'Daire will break anytime soon."

"With her and Abbott under lock and key at least they can't hurt anyone else."

"But who knows who else is out there? These weren't thrill kills or serials. They were assassinations and just because we took two of them off the street doesn't mean money won't be given to someone else to keep things moving along."

Kara stepped into the office and let the door close behind her. "If only we knew the why."

"Nothing new with the CatCo digging? The free press is as important a tool as whatever Maggie's contact turned over."

"Ms. Grant has been," Kara stumbled over the words. 

"Focused? Distant? Cold?" Alex teased while standing from her chair. 

"All of the above."

"She needs time, Kara. Something tells me she never really was chased off the fact you were Supergirl. So getting that confirmed by circumstance, and not you opening up to her, it probably stings."

"I kept from telling her because the DEO thought too many people already knew. Even you thought so."

"All true but her reaction to finding out is still valid."

"I suppose," Kara shrugged. "So, Winn and Vasquez think they've finished the final touches on the training protocol meant to replicate the sonic attack on me in the park. Can you spare some time to observe the exercise? Be an extra pair of eyes for me?"

"Sure," Alex was happy for the distraction. So she pushed her chair under the desk and then logged out of the workstation terminal. "Then maybe we can go hit things."

"Rough night? She cancel again?"

Alex moved towards her sister. "No. Dinner was nice. The reaction, while walking her home, to a car backfiring was less so."

"Is Maggie, okay?"

"Says she is but I think 'okay' is an overstatement."

"Maybe J'onn should have her talk to someone?"

"I think, for now, it's best to give her time, see how the physical therapy progresses, then maybe she can start dealing with the rest."

"And if not?"

"I'll keep an eye on her until she does." Alex offered knowing it was an overly optimistic and terrible solution. 

"We both will. I like her, you know."

"Not as much as I do," Alex blushed.

Kara smiled wide. "And I like seeing you so happy."

The kindness in her sister’s eyes made it easier for Alex to be honest. "So did I, Kara. So did I."

Before Alex could say anything else, Supergirl was pulling her into a tight, sister hug. It was hardly the most professional moment Alex had at the DEO but it was what she needed. 

\--- 

Many an afternoon Supergirl and Alex had spent sparing in the same large, gray, empty space with the Kryptonite dampeners on. Now she stood in the center of the room, alone, awaiting instruction. 

A loud click came over the speaker. "We were able to retrofit the room fairly easily," Winn spoke through the microphone. A small, secured screen inside the wall by the exit showed him seated at the control center workstation. "But we can't be certain the sound wave intensity is going to match what you faced in the park."

Supergirl shrugged. "I'm not going to forget what that felt like. I'll be able to tell you your degree of success."

Alex leaned into the camera frame and grabbed the microphone. "Kara, if he did, there will be time to figure out how to beat it. First, let's aim for a strong defense against it."

"Alex, we can do both."

"Defense, first."

Annoyed, Supergirl relented. "Okay, I hear you loud and clear."

"Not for much longer," Winn continued, nudging Alex from the frame. "Once this program starts running we won't be able to communicate."

Alex glared at Winn and nudged back in. "If it looks like your life is in danger or the effects are too much I'm shutting it down."

"I can handle this, Alex."

"Don't doubt that. Just can't afford to have our strongest asset knocked out of commission."

Alex was right and so Supergirl relented. "Understood."

"Good. Stay steady."

Winn's hand moved. "Here it comes in 3, 2, ..."

In an instant, the entire room was vibrating with sound coming at her from all directions. None of it even came close to what happened that day in the park. 

\---

The test proved to be a bust so Supergirl joined the group in the control room. They needed to determine what was missing. 

"How were you able to secure the room enough to confine the sounds?" Alex asked as she read the code over Winn's shoulder. 

"Lots of trial and error."

"And calculating the power of the waves?" Supergirl asked from where she was leaning near the doorway. 

Winn stopped typing and turned to them. "A handful of the press pool cameras captured what was happening. That footage gave us a guess at a baseline using how other things in the blast radius, like trees and benches, reacted to the waves."

"But since Kara's physiology is different, the maximum output can't be as easily measured," Alex interjected. 

"Exactly. All we know is that we need more. How did the intensity measure up?"

Supergirl took a few steps into the room. "What happened in the park, that took my breath away. Not much has ever hurt me but that hurt. The direction was also off. During the test, it felt like I was being struck by the sound the entire three hundred and sixty degrees. In the park, it was a wide span but felt like a single, directed source."

Alex pointed to the code on Winn's terminal. "Run it again but aim it all from one direction and turn on the Kryptonite dampener, just a touch."

Winn took both hands off the keyboard, then put them back, and began to feverishly type. "Of course. If we can't mimic the intensity of the sound waves, try weakening her. Maybe then we can duplicate it."

"Do it," Kara demanded as she left the control booth and headed back into the room. 

\---

It had worked and now there was a sonic cat and mouse game being played in the training room. Watching Winn try to challenge Supergirl's abilities made Alex wonder if some of the looks on the young man's face were similar to when he would play video games. Every time he got the drop on Supergirl there was a little twinge of gloating in his tone and one or two victory cheers. 

After knocking her to the ground for the fifth time the waves and Kryptonite damping were turned off. Alex turned on the microphone in the booth and leaned into it. "Try riding the sound wave this time."

"Like surfing?" Supergirl questioned as she rose slowly from the ground. "That was your deal, Alex. Not mine." 

"Even though Dad wouldn't let you near a board you watched me all the time. You've got this, Kara. Remember what you used to see me do and see if you can use the sound to get some momentum and then balance."

"Tough to do when there is no way to be sure which way it's coming for me."

"Just need to be faster than the sound," Winn interjected.

Supergirl rolled her eyes. "Easy for you to say."

\---

The training went on for another two hours and only stopped because Alex thought her sister had enough for one day. Even with powers, Supergirl was exhausted. She was getting the hang of Alex's surfing the sound idea but not without bumps and bruises thanks to the small amount of Kryptonite Winn had added to the room. Things were close to what had happened at the park. It wasn't exact but it hurt. 

After the training, Alex had insisted they do a battery of tests to determine what, if any, damage Kara might have suffered from prolonged exposure to the variety of attacks. They knew from the park that Supergirl’s equilibrium had been affected but she wanted to be sure there weren’t any other long-term issues they needed to be concerned about.

When Alex was content with the results she demanded her sister take a time out in one of the sunbeds to recharge. Supergirl didn't argue and after a short while, she felt back to normal as the warmth refueled her alien cells and flushed away any residual Kryptonite. 

Before she could change into her favorite jeans and a sweater, things she had found means to leave at the DEO just in case, Supergirl heard destruction coming from within the DEO complex. Dashing toward the sound that her super hearing had picked up, Supergirl entered the locker room to find Detective Sawyer throwing things at a row of lockers. 

Supergirl's appearance in the room brought Maggie's assault of inanimate objects to a halt as she slowly sat on the bench behind her. "Rough day."

"Seems that way. Want to talk?"

"Not much to say. Everything hurts and likely to stay that way for a long time."

"I heard you had your first physical therapy session today. It was bound to be difficult."

"Understatement," Maggie said, finally glancing in the hero's direction. 

Supergirl took a few steps further into the room. "Is it just the pain management?"

"Honestly?"

Seeing an opening, Supergirl took a few more steps into the room and then sat next to the Detective on the bench. "Yes."

"No."

"I didn't think so." Supergirl fell silent having learned few things over the years about human nature. It was Maggie who needed to be the one to fill the silence. 

The detective took a very deep breath and then winced. "I can't even be frustrated without it hurting and breathing is a bitch.”

“And I suppose not being able to hit things leads to throwing things instead?”

Maggie managed a smile. “I’ve still got one good arm.”

Supergirl nodded. “From the look of the dent in that locker, more than good.”  
“Pretty much all I have going for me at the moment. Thanks for the chat but I need to be heading home. See you around, Supergirl," the detective said defeated as she rose from the bench, grabbed a small gym bag, and continued past the hero to the door. 

"Detective?"

"Yeah."

"With everything piling on, if you need someone to talk to or to just listen, I'm pretty good at that. Agent Vasquez has the ability to reach me if you need anything."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

And with that Maggie was gone. 

Twice in one day, Supergirl had made a promise to help where Detective Sawyer was concerned and it seemed it was good that she had done so. There was a lot going on that would require people around her to aid in her rehabilitation. Supergirl only hoped nothing bad happened as Maggie struggled with the process. Not only was the Detective’s wellbeing at stake but also so was Alex’s heart. 

\---

"Hey, Maggie," Alex said as she jogged at a decent clip down the hallway toward the elevators that exited the complex. "How was your session?"

"Fine." The response was not only quick but also cold. 

"That's good. So do you want to get that dinner?"

"I want to go home. Take a hot shower and go to bed. Catch you later, Danvers."

Maggie had always been fiercely independent but what Alex saw in her eyes was more than just independence. She was in pain and not just the physical kind. There was a loss in her eyes that Alex had seen before when she had been the one to put it there. 

As the elevator closed, Alex was left in the hallway alone and feeling useless. Anger started to bubble up and she turned on her heels in the direction of J'onn's office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the feedback on this and the previous story in the series. Very appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

The professional yet impassioned speech Alex had given to the director would have been considered insubordinate if her boss was anyone other than J'onn. His emotionless reaction, to what many would have considered a rant, made her worry she was going to be chained to her desk the rest of her career but instead he took a seat, folded his hand and nodded silently.

Alex was confused by the reaction and remained standing, staring at a man who had become as much a surrogate father as he was a boss. She wondered if his silence was a tactic to get her to say all the things he probably already knew. They remained in a standoff for a couple minutes before J’onn asked Alex to sit.

"I’ve gotten nowhere with either of them. How is it plan on doing any better?”

* * *

Alex wasn't sure where the ideas came from but by late in the afternoon she was testing her tactics on Kyle Abbot. J'onn still felt A'Daire was too dangerous an interrogation since they had yet to pinpoint how she brainwashed her victims, but every indication was Alex could, with six inches of glass between her and the prisoner, try at Abbot without any immediate danger.

As the door to the outer room opened, Alex could see him doing sit-ups in his cell. Noticing her presence he stopped mid-move and looked in her direction. “Oh, they sent me someone new to play with.”

“I don’t play.”

Abbot went back to his exercise. “Too bad sweetheart, cause, you see, I’m bored and got nothing but time inside this box.” His attitude was as thick as his east coast accent. 

“Only way I stay is if you start giving us something to work with,” Alex presented while moving to stand in front of the chair on her side of the glass. Her arms were folded and her expression blank. “If you don’t want to talk, I’ve got plenty of other things I can be doing right now.”

“If some alien couldn’t get me too spill I don’t see you having any luck,” Abbot said, as he rose the rest of the way up and onto his feet. His physical presence probably intimated some but having gone up against his animal form, his human-side looked small in comparison.

Alex’s shifted her weight but tried to keep her face neutral. How had he picked up on J’onn’s origin?

He smiled wide. “My observation about the big fella surprises you.”

Alex shrugged. “I’m sure your employers have plenty of intelligence on all of us.”

“Probably true but you’re underestimating me. The air around here is recycled, vents shared, I could smell it on him. Same as I can smell things on you.” The look on Abbott’s face as he spoke made Alex want to take a very long and very hot shower. 

“So... you don’t have to use your gift to have access to your powers.”

A hearty laugh greeted the comment. “Gift. Aren’t you just the perfect progressive?”

“I see people as people.”

“Even aliens.”

The attempt at showing understanding might have backfired but she couldn’t backtrack now. “Yes, even aliens.”

“Foolish of you and those like you. Before you know it they will be everywhere, same as people like me, and then the entire human race will be reduced to cattle.”

“Morbid.”

He laughed. “Survival of the fittest.”

“Big Darwin fan, are you?”

“Nope. Learned those lessons on the streets.”

“That’s right,” Alex said as she took a seat, making sure to keep her body language casual and her tone flat. If J’onn’s presence represented physical strength but also alien ideas, Alex needed to go another way. “Kyle Abbot born somewhere in the U.K., bounced around a lot until settling in the US. Spent the formative years on the tough streets of Philadelphia, learning about life, which led to organized crime and a job as a fixer. Impressive resume but odd that in recent years you’ve been reduced to being someone else’s lackey.”

He took a few aggressive steps towards the glass. “I ain’t no one's lackey.”

Alex smiled. She had hit a nerve. “Could have fooled me. Being sent to kill people that have power like yours. Doesn’t seem the best use of your skills.”

“You don’t know me or why I do what I do.”

“You and your ring leader are going away for multiple murders and, of course, treason.”

It was his turn to shrug. “Can’t prove anything.”

“Sure we can. Got miles of footage from the park and DNA matches to the Meta murder spree. We made you for those killings within an hour of you being our guests. So get used to seeing the world from inside a goldfish bowl because this be your home until the day you die. While your partner in crime, well, she’ll fry for what she carried out.” There was a flash of something behind his eyes, something familiar. Alex’s instincts kicked in. “Don’t much like that last part, do you?”

Abbot got up very close to the glass. “You don’t know what I like.”

“I think you like A’Daire.”

He stared at Alex like he wanted his eyes to burn holes through her, not liking the fact she knew his deepest secret.

“It’s a complicated emotion, love. Not always easy to contend with but I imagine you would have moved on a long time ago if you weren’t willing to endure every last dark moment. As long as the two of you were together, it didn’t matter what she was asking you to do. Did it?”

Something else crossed Abbott’s face and Alex, internally, celebrated because she was getting somewhere. 

—

“Miss Tessmacher!”

Lead-lined glasses softened Kara’s powers, as did years of learning to tune out residual distractions, but when Cat Grant yelled, hearing her was often unavoidable. Having been in the brand new assistant’s shoes, Kara knew that tone meant nothing good.

It wasn’t three minutes later and Kara’s phone, in her closet of an office, rang. Before even picking it up, she knew her presence was required.

Walking through the bullpen, Kara saw a staff that looked especially focused on work. They had either heard the yelling and therefore were worried for Kara’s wellbeing so couldn’t bring themselves to look her in the eyes, or, more likely, Cat had arrived to work in an especially foul mood so they were keeping their heads down. Kara adjusted her posture and put on her best smile. There were no more secrets between them so she had no reason to be intimated by Cat Grant.

The second the door opened, Cat addressed Kara, waving a tan folder in the air, her eyes remaining glued to whatever she was reviewing in front of her. “Your new assignment.” 

Alex was right, Cat’s feelings were hurt and so she wasn’t processing her emotions and was instead operating behind a giant wall but knowing the why didn’t help alleviate how annoyed Kara was by the behavior. Despite that her smile held. “More things related to the Meta cases?”

“No, a feature piece,” Cat offered, with a quick glance up, as she handed the folder across her desk. “She won’t do it unless the reporter is someone she thinks is worthy of her.”

Taking and then opening the file, the subject of Kara’s next assignment smiled back up at her in the form of a black and white press photo, credited to James, from the national children’s cancer gala that had been held earlier in the year in National City. Kara’s calm started to falter. “You normally don’t bend to requests like that.”

Cat shrugged without looking up, the pen in her hand still crossing things off on whatever she was editing. “It’s for the next issue.”

“I’m not the right person.”

Cat looked up and leaned forward. “Lena Luthor is not her brother. Your cousin’s issues with him are immaterial.”

The statement cut to the heart of Kara’s discomfort. Cat would be gloating soon about knowing what the issue was but Kara’s reasoning was sound. “That family can’t be trusted.”

“Everyone knows what her brother has done but at Catco we don’t vilify victims, we don’t assume guilt or innocence but instead provide facts, and we don’t assign one individual’s sins onto anyone else in their family.”

Kara’s temper was building. “Normalizing them is okay, though.”

Steam might as well have been pouring from Cat’s ears as she placed her pen down. “What I would be highlighting is one of this year’s ‘Power Women Under Forty’. Who I would be highlighting is someone who deserves to be applauded for her long list of accomplishments. Ms. Luthor has made strides in the technological and biological arena while also redefining what it means to run a fortune 500 Company that she built from the ground up despite the burden of her last name. I would think you, of all people, could understand that. If you aren’t up to the task I will find someone else that Ms. Luthor approves of, even if I have to write the piece myself. “

Kara felt deep shame. Clark’s issues with Lex Luthor were clouding her objectiveness and Cat knew it. “No, I’ll do it.”

“I thought you might,” Cat looked back to the paper in front of her. “She’s expecting your call.”

—

When Alex went in she hadn't intended to steer the conversation as she did. If it had been two weeks earlier, she was certain she wouldn't have had the instincts to see his feelings as a factor or to use them to dismantle his silence. With everything that had been developing with Maggie, it was the easiest interrogation she had ever conducted. Alex found she had extra insight that explained why the deep loyalty.

From what information Oracle had dug up before the events in the park, Abbot had been at A'Daire's side for a very long time. So dangling the legal consequences of their actions but labeling her the ringleader had done it. He wasn't just loyal. It wasn’t just lust. Abbot was in love with A'Daire and so he flipped like a coin. Sadly, what he knew was very little.

From his telling, A'Daire handled all the contact with their employer. He also insisted their crimes didn’t include all the murders Alex was accusing them of committing. They had been paid to wreak havoc but during their third attempt to stir things up in the Meta community a third party, someone they didn't know, boxed them in by taking a life. A scare mission turned into murder, committed by the stranger. They later learned their two previous marks had met similar fates after they left the scene. The problem was they were accomplices to the third and so they were trapped. From that point on they had no choice but to do everything they were told to do including help eliminate subjects. Alex reminded him it was murder whether they were blackmailed into it or not. Unfortunately, Alex wouldn’t get to be the one to use the new knowledge against A'Daire. J'onn would be the one to deliver the news since they had every reason to believe his alien physiology made him immune to whatever it was that allowed her to manipulate humans. 

So instead, Alex was sitting at a computer terminal, near where Agent Vasquez and Schott worked, re-reading a surprising email from Oracle. The hacker had some luck. There was previously unseen footage that had been unearthed. 

A CatCo cameraperson had gotten coverage of bystanders as the attack went on. One of the bystanders apparently felt themselves civilian press and could be seen putting themselves in harm's way to get footage of the battle. They had posted it on a social media platform as a live video. Having somehow tracked it down, Oracle pulled the high definition cell phone footage, which produced enough of an angle to provide new insight into the battle. Alex took a very deep breath and pushed play.

—

As Kara entered the office at LCorp, she was struck with how unpretentious everything was in the space. The furniture, with the exception of a large desk, which almost dwarfed the woman sitting behind it, was minimalist. A large screen to the right of the desk was showing a stunning black and white photo of what looked to be Paris before the turn of the last century. There were no personal items or decorations on any surfaces, no freshly cut flowers. Kara was immediately curious about the kind of person who would work in such a cold space. Even Cat Grant had a photo of Carter in her office.

Lena Luthor smiled and rose from her chair to greet Kara. “Thank you for meeting me here, Ms. Danvers.”

She was a beautiful woman, Kara observed. Poised and professional, but her attire showed she was her own woman. The suit fit flawlessly but was in no way stuffy. There was a lovely flow to the fabric and the royal blue of the jacket brought out her striking green eyes. Her hair was up, which allowed the silver necklace she wore to be easily seen. It was understated, not a symbol Kara was familiar with, and so she bet there was a sentimental reasoning it was worn, especially because it didn’t match the rest of the ensemble.

“No problem,” Kara replied and took the hand offered, shaking it.

“I’ve been buried in work and I know it is unusual to meet the first time off the record but I wanted to give us a chance to get to know one another a little bit.”

“I understand,” Kara nodded. Glancing past Lena Luthor to the outside, Kara was impressed by the view. It might have been better than Cat’s. “It’s beautiful out there. I think I can see the ocean.”

“I’m a very private person.” Luthor blurted out, jumping on top of Kara’s words. She seemed nervous which was a curious trait coming from someone so powerful and well connected.

“I imagine you would have to be.”

Lena Luthor laughed, awkwardly, and then retreated back to her chair. “You’re blunt.”

“I don’t mean to be. Perhaps that was the wrong observation for me to be making.”

“Or perhaps that was the right one? You are very good at your job, aren’t you, Ms. Danvers?” Lena Luthor took a breath, smiled, and then lifted her coffee mug. She took a sip while studying Kara. “Or so it seems from the features you’ve been writing about the horrible murders in the Meta community. Please have a seat.”

Kara did. “I just do what I can to get the whole story.”

“What you do is important.”

Kara wasn’t sure why but she felt herself blushing.

—

“Alex, you have a second?” Agent Vasquez asked.

Freezing the video she had been watching on repeat, enormously grateful for the interruption, Alex turned to the other agent. “What have you got?”

“Besides a bird's eye view of that little chat?” Vasquez pointed to the screen to the right of her that showed J’onn on one side of protective glass and A’Daire on the other, looking very smug. “West file is open and the contents aren’t disappointing. His people have offered some curious findings that might prove useful.”

“Anything cross reference to what we or Oracle dug up before?”

“Some of it.”

“I hear a ‘but’ coming.”

Vasquez started typing on the keyboard in front of her. “For good reason.”

“The good kind or the ‘damn it’ kind?”

Drawings and typed accounts of something started appearing on the screen. They were extrapolated, Alex assumed, from the information Maggie’s source had handed over to Supergirl. “They seem to think the killers are moving through portals.”

“Portals?”

“Yes.”

“As in science-fiction holes in space and time?”

The look on Vasquez’s face was part amusement and part cynicism. “Maybe.”

“Do we have photos?

“No, just descriptions and a couple of hand drawings by some folks with limited skills in that area. A quick search of the names West provided show unrelated sources with similar accounts. Some describe them as magical. Others describe them as technological. If these stories are legitimate we are dealing with killers that can appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. Portal opens, killers step out, do what they came to do, and disappear.”

“So invisible enemies?”

Vasquez nodded. “At the very least enemies with a full proof escape plan.”

“Might explain how A’Daire and Abbot joined the fight in the park without being detected until the fight was on.”

“If these accounts are true,” Vasquez reminded.

Alex was trying to get her mind to catch up with what her instincts were telling her. Her agency training was screaming urban legend but her gut was telling her this was a good lead. “It’s better than any current theories and we do live in a remarkable time. People can do all sorts of things nowadays.”

Susan interrupted, she had an uncharacteristic smirk on her face. “Some people we work with can fly. But how do we fight something when we can’t predict a pattern?”

“I suppose that’s going to be the challenge.”

—

Lunch had come in the form of salads and sparkling water for both of them. They had moved their chat to the sofa across from Lena Luthor’s desk.

Kara wasn’t sure how an audition interview was meant to go. She decided to ask questions she would have asked anyway while hoping to still leave herself things to ask if she was anointed worthy enough to write the piece by the woman before her. “How was growing up?”

“Lonely.”

Kara nodded but said nothing. The quick honesty, to an admittedly blunt question, was a surprise.

“What?” Lena asked; her face scrunched in a worried look.

“Nothing.”

“Clearly, something.”

“You didn’t even think, you just answered.”

“Isn’t that the idea when getting to know someone? To be honest.”

Kara considered the question. “It seems a foreign word these days.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what about yours?”

Kara couldn’t believe she was considering an answer, let alone a carefully honest one.

Lena raised her hand and dismissed the idea. “If you don’t want to talk about it.”

“No, it’s fine.” Kara felt bad about the wall she felt going up. “People don’t often ask me about my life.”

“Why not?”

“I’m the quiet one.”

“You have a sibling?”

“A sister but I’m adopted. Her parents took me. Mine were killed in a fire.”

“I see, was that lonely for you? Growing up in a strange home?”

Kara found herself in the position of being interviewed. How had the dynamic turned so quickly? “At first, and then Alex, that’s my sister, we got close, and now she’s my best friend,” Kara said, as she pushed her glasses high up onto her nose. “She’s the more dynamic of the two of us, braver, I guess, which makes me the quiet one.”

Lena smiled a warm, authentic smile and then it was gone. “You want to ask, don’t you?”

It was if Lena Luthor could read minds. Kara did want to ask. It would be the easiest segue in the world to ask. “I don’t want to overstep. This is supposed to be a casual conversation.”

“Ask. It’s okay. I’m used to it,” Lena admitted, as she sipped from her glass.

“But you shouldn’t have to be used to it.”

A tilt of the head and the smile returned to Lena Luthor’s face only this time it stayed. “Ask. I trust you.”

Kara wasn’t sure the trust was warranted but did as she was told. “Were you and your brother close growing up?”

“We were.”

“But you said you were lonely?”

“It’s not easy to explain and I’ve tried for years to figure it out.”

When her homeworld was destroyed, Kara had lost everything that mattered to her. She was lucky to find a loving home on Earth where she was happy but in her quieter moments, despite feeling such love, the loneliness was something she knew all too well. “I understand both the feeling and the inability to articulate it.”

Lena seemed to take in the confession. “You do, don’t you?”

They both sat in silence for a moment, considering one another.

It was Lena who broke the silence. “Kara, I really hope you consider writing the feature on me?”

“Consider? I thought it was me that was auditioning.”

“No. I’m not sure how you got that impression. I wanted to ease any concerns you might have about me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I told Cat Grant that I was flattered by her wish to include me but I didn’t exactly see myself an easy subject to boil down in the way she wanted to include me in the issue. The attention tends to focus on my family history, my brother. So when she suggested you would be the perfect person to write the piece, I’ll admit, I was surprised.”

An alarm was going off in Kara’s head. “Umm, why?”

“Because I’ve been reading your reporting and thought you would consider this story beneath your talent.”

“My what?”

“A fluff piece on a Luthor vs. using the time to dig more into whatever is happening in our city? For someone such as yourself, it would seem no contest.”

“I’ve many interests, not just crime.”

“Such as?”

“Stories that give people hope, or a smile after a hard day, ones that inspire people, and ones that make people see the world from different angles,” Kara explained.

“Wow. Reporters, in my life experience, have always been piranhas looking to sell papers with dark angles and red meat,” Lena confessed.

“That is sometimes a necessary part of the job. There is a lot of darkness that needs to be brought into the light but that can’t be everything. It would be a miserable way to live, only in the darkness.”

“So your passion for journalism…”

“…Is about revealing facts.” Kara offered, finishing the question she didn’t let Lena Luthor finish asking.

“Hmm.”

“Can I ask you something, Ms. Luthor?”

“Please call me, Lena.”

“Lena,” Kara said with slight hesitation. “The necklace you’re wearing. It means something to you, doesn’t it?”

The question put a smile on Lena’s face but sadness in her eyes. Her fingers moved to the necklace and she rubbed the pendant between her fingers. “Why do you say that?”

“Your look is professional, like many people in your position might dress, but it also sets you apart, highlights your youthfulness, your beauty.”

“I’m flattered. But what made you ask about the necklace?”

Kara shrugged and pushed her glasses up again. “It stands out, apart, from the rest of your look.”

“See, you are good at your job. I am only half Luthor. My brother and I share the same father. All I know of my real mother is she grew up in Ireland.”

“Has she passed?”

“Yes.”

As each layer of this woman was revealed to Kara, she realized how much her curiosity was growing. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“I was very young when I moved in with the Luthor family. This is the one thing of my mother’s I still have.”

“What doesn’t it mean?”

“The symbol itself?”

Kara nodded

“From my research, I’ve found it has carried a handful of meanings over time. A unity in spirit. Past present and future. Eternity. Equality.”

“Do you wear it for your mother? For what it represents?”

“Both.”

Kara nodded again.

Lena dropped the pendant from her fingers and turned her thoughts back to the question at hand. “So, are you interested in writing about me?”

Kara couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t interested. Cat was about to get her way. She only hoped her boss didn’t throw out that little tidbit the next time she and Lois Lane got into a fight over the phone. There was no way Kara’s cousin, Kal-El, would be happy to learn of her latest assignment. “I look forward to speaking again on the record.”

—

With Vasquez’s revelation about portals and after an hour of watching footage from Oracle, Alex was exhausted. Her mind was in overdrive. She was desperate for answers so that she could plot a course of action. Perhaps the worst part of all of this was she couldn’t do anything but sit and wait. Wait for A’Daire to break. Wait for a lead on the case. Wait for Maggie to heal. Maybe most confusing, because it was the most complicated, wait to find out what might happen after the healing was over and she and Maggie had some real time to get to know one another again without all the rest hanging over them.

The coffee Winn had brought over to Alex was helping some although drinking it so late in the day probably meant sleep wasn’t going to be any easier to manage than it had been the previous night. Although caffeine probably wasn’t going to be as much the culprit as watching the footage so many times. 

Alex’s feelings for Maggie were making it difficult to remain detached from what she was viewing. Seeing Maggie's gun pointed Alex's way, her hand and trigger finger shaking, the anger and fear behind her eyes, It was brutal and Alex was grateful Maggie would never be allowed access to the tape because she was without the required security clearance. Watching herself this way would wreck her all over again.

“I’ll be right back,” Vasquez said as she pulled back from her chair.

Winn made a little grunting noise. He was apparently down two to zero with some bet they made with one another and so he was pouting. Alex smiled at their sibling-like banter while she went back to what she was doing. 

After having watched the footage a few dozen times, Alex was finally able to set aside her own emotions and begin to forensically break it all apart. It was then she saw something she hadn’t before. Pushing pause on the file, she backed it up and then advanced it frame by frame. 

A'Daire touches Maggie, who turns to her, the earpiece dangling from Maggie’s ears just as Supergirl described. Closing in on their faces, Alex noticed what looked to be only one word from A'Daire as Maggie then turned. There was a word, a touch, and eye contact, intense eye contact. 

“Holy crap,” Alex exclaimed. The technology Winn had developed might not have helped any of them. Maybe it wasn't A’Daire’s voice that planted the instructions. It was her eyes that started the thrall. “Winn look at this for me.”

Rolling his chair, like a millennial working for a dotcom, over to the workstation that Alex was borrowing, Winn stopped and glanced at the screen. “What have you got?”

“Tell me what you see.” Alex backed up the footage and then let it advance slowly. 

Winn’s eyes went wide. “She barely speaks to Detective Sawyer.”

“Exactly.”

“We need to tell J’onn,” Winn exclaimed while getting up from his chair and moving to look at the surveillance from A’Daire’s cell. Fear came across his face. “The Camera is out.”

“What?”

“We aren't getting a signal,” Winn panicked and then started hammering the keypad at Vasquez’s console. “Holy...”

“What?”

“West hallway. Look.”

The screen showed A’Daire walking the hallway right past guards without any interference. She was using Vasquez as a human shield.

—

Winn had gotten a hold of J’onn. He was back in his office, updating the President about the interrogation Alex had done with Abbot as well as how A’Daire was still saying nothing. As the young Agent rambled his way through an explanation of what was happening, Alex sprung into action. She bolted towards the stairwell while sliding her portable communicator into her left ear. Where she was headed would hopefully drop her between them and A’Daire’s easiest means of escape. On route, she gave a senior Agent, who was reviewing eyewitness accounts at the center workstation, strict instructions to start locking down everything at headquarters. No one was to get in or out. The task would take time, he informed her. She hoped they could be fast enough.

The hallway A’Daire was in had a direct route to the one elevator bank they didn’t want her near. It provided street-level access, which was ideal when transporting dangerous criminals directly to the cell level, something they learned they needed after some unfortunate incidents at the downtown facility. From the outside, it required clearance through a panel that looked like a power juncture but was actually a one point two million dollar security system. From inside the facility, it was an unobstructed exit that only required a fingerprint to engage the doors. Had A’Daire gotten lucky or was Vasquez now compromised?

After racing down the stairs, Alex made it to the door that opened to the hallway were A’Daire was trying to make her escape. Checking that her weapon was ready to go, Alex then raised it for protection and burst through the doorway. The moment she cleared it, Alex was met with a strong hit to the forearm that was holding her gun. The pain was excruciating but she managed to hold tight to the weapon. Her eyes shifted in the direction of the strike. She had expected to see A’Daire but instead saw Susan Vasquez with raging. At the far end of the hallway, Alex caught sight of the prisoner, waving in her direction, with a wide grin on her face, just as the door of the elevator shut tight.

“Damn it,” Alex barked into her earpiece. “A’Daire’s in the tube. Get those systems off!”

“We’re trying Alex,” Winn yelled back. “This base wasn’t built for easy lockdown.”

“We need to work on that!” The moment the words escaped her mouth a second chop to her arm resulted in Alex’s gun falling from her grasp and sliding across the long hallway. Thankfully in the opposite direction of a, seemingly unarmed, but violent Agent Vasquez. 

Susan was standing between Alex and A’Daire’s exit and Alex needed to do something to stop the escape. As Alex prepared to fight back, flashbacks to the park began bombarding Alex’s mind. The injuries Maggie had sustained because of Alex’s actions were dramatic. Dr. Snow had helped Maggie heal and was currently dating the woman that looked as if she wanted to see Alex dead. A’Daire’s brainwashing had done a number on Vasquez but what could Alex do? She couldn’t avoid the fight but she wasn’t sure she could do harm to someone who was among the best the DEO had to offer and had helped save Maggie’s life that day in the park. 

A hard left jab came flying at Alex’s face and she dodged it like a boxer in the ring but it caused her earpiece to dislodge itself. She now had no means to get any information from the rest of the team. 

Before she could throw an offensive strike of her own, a right hook followed, which Alex barely ducked away from. Swinging her left, it connected with Vasquez's cheek but didn’t deter her in the least. The boxing, without gloves, continued with strike after strike being flung at one another. Both women connecting and also, thankfully, blocking. Alex’s ribs began to ache after Vasquez changed things up with a kick that landed. 

It took hours for the effects of the brainwashing to wear off on those they had detained after the park. Alex couldn’t keep this up for hours and didn’t want to have to switch gears and play heavy offense but after a second strike, which split Alex’s lip and knocked her to the ground, she realized she might not have a choice. Getting up from the ground, Alex barreled into Vasquez like a linebacker. As she started to taste blood in her mouth, a sound caught Alex’s attention. 

The elevator door began to reopen and Alex’s adrenaline kicked. She had told them to shut everything down but obviously, things weren’t shut down. Maybe, having been witness to the fight, someone like J’onn was coming in to help out. Or maybe someone unaware was about to walk into the middle of what was happening and make matters much worse. Or maybe A’Daire couldn’t get out and was returning for plan B, which meant Alex was in big trouble.

Hoping that when the doors opened it would be a good outcome, Alex realized she needed to keep Susan occupied. Throwing a punch in Agent Vasquez’s direction kept her brainwashed friend from noticing the elevator. Unfortunately, the elevator had Alex distracted also and the return hit from her fellow agent landed so perfectly it brought Alex back to the ground, hard, her head bouncing off the floor. 

An enraged Agent Vasquez started to advance on Alex. Alex’s blood ran cold as fear gripped her. She knew that if she couldn’t break free, Vasquez would end her life right then and there. Her co-worker’s hands were moving quickly in the direction of Alex’s throat. It was then a loud crackling sound interrupted the movement. Agent Vasquez’s eyes went very wide and she gave out a yell as she collapsed to the ground shaking. Everything then went very still. Alex eyes adjusted to the backlighting from the fluorescents overhead and then smiled at the figure standing above her.

Lucy Lane turned off the Taser in her hand, placed it back in a holder on her hip, and then reached down a hand. “Miss me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like many of you, I've been dealing with the disappointment over the direction of the show where Sanvers is concerned and so this chapter took me a little longer to get the way I wanted it. I hope you enjoy it.


	4. Chapter 4

Reaching up and taking Lucy Lane’s hand, Alex stood, very slowly. Every muscle in her body cried out as she did. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

The demeanor of the DEO’s co-director stiffened and the relaxed. Perhaps the comment carried a kaleidoscope of unintended meaning. “I go away for a handful of weeks and everything goes to hell around here.”

As she tried to take a deep breath, Alex’s hand shot up to grab her rib cage. Her eyes started to water from the pain. “Everything was under control.”

Lucy took a step in Alex’s direction and then stopped. Her posture stiff again. “You were getting your ass kicked by what is normally one of our most trustworthy agents. An agent who was brainwashed by a prisoner who is the city’s, no, the country’s, public enemy number one, a prisoner that just waltzed out the back door.”

Alex was furious. “Damn it. She got passed the undercover team that monitors the alleyway exit.”

Lucy nodded. “J’onn was filling me in as I arrived for my briefing. When I got to the alley, I found the team pummeling each other. Don’t worry they’re alive and have been sedated.”

“We should have them get Susan somewhere safe so she doesn’t do any more harm to herself.”

“Or someone else?” Lucy added with a raised eyebrow.

“Or someone else,” Alex repeated, as she wiped the blood from her mouth with the sleeve of her tactical jacket.

Lucy’s look softened. “You need to see medical.”

“Lucy, I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. I’ll drag you to medical myself,” Lucy demanded and then triggered her earpiece. “Get the security team down here, now. Bring restraints and activate the same protocols as the alley. We need Agent Vasquez back to herself as soon as possible. She could have valuable Intel as to how A’Daire made her escape.”

Someone on the other end must have been speaking because Lucy was listening intently. While she took in what was being said to her, she moved to Alex’s gun, which was on the ground at the other end of the hallway. “Yes. Yes,” she continued while picking up the weapon. Returning to Alex’s side, Lucy handed it back. “Oh, and tell medical I’m on my way up with Agent Danvers. She’s going to need X-rays and a head CT.”

“I’m fine. I don’t need a CT scan.”

“You will have a full work up if I have to restrain you to the bed myself.”

As the comment sunk in, Alex did her best to ignore it while doing as she was told. They headed down a second hallway to another elevator bank, which went to the main level of headquarters. 

After the door closed, the elevator began to ascend. Even that movement made Alex’s ribs ache. She had broken a couple during the first year working for the agency while on an assignment that went sideways. She had lied to Kara and said she had done it surfing. They didn’t feel broken but they sure did hurt. Maybe Lucy Lane's insistence on a full check wasn't a bad idea after all. 

—-

“Excuse me,” Kara said, as she heard her other work phone go off. Immediately worried why it had she plucked it from her purse. “Hi, this is Kara.”

“Hey, it’s Winn. Need you here. We have a situation.”

Worried turned to fear as she heard the nervous tone from her friend. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine, Alex is fine,” Winn said stumbling over his words. “And, yeah, see, I’m fine. You’re needed.”

Kara’s voice barely balanced between that of her current identity and Supergirl. “What about Alex?”

“She’s okay but we really have a situation.”

“I’m on my way,” Kara said as she shoved the phone back into her bag. “I need to go.”

A look of compassion crossed Lena Luthor's face. “You’re sister?”

“Yeah, but no big deal, just a little issue so I have to head out.”

“Of course, of course.”

“I’ll be in touch,” Kara said pushing her glasses higher onto her nose as she rose from the sofa.

Lena smiled as she also stood. “Perfect.”

“Should I call your assistant to set up a time?”

“Not necessary,” Lena said as she moved to her desk, grabbed a pen and a card, and jotted something down before handing it to Kara. “Call me, directly.”

Seeing the number, Kara assumed it was a private line. “Are you sure?”

“I am. It was very nice meeting you, Kara.”

“Nice meeting you, Lena. I look forward to speaking again soon.”

“So do I. Hope everything with your sister works out.”

Kara smiled awkwardly and then made her exit making sure to go slow even though the call from Winn made her want to fly from the nearest open window to the DEO as quickly as she could.

—-

“See, I told you I didn’t need an X-ray or a CT scan,” Alex said as she slid from the exam table, with her midsection, below her black sport’s bra, wrapped. She hurt all over but her scans came back clean of any breaks or major trauma.

“Four bruised ribs aren’t something you ignore,” Lucy scoffed.

“Which is why I now look like a mummy,” Alex replied, sarcastically. Grabbing for the shirt they removed to check her out, a sharp pain shot through her middle causing Alex to hiss. Her movement immediately halted. The shirt in her hand but her arm not wanting to move back to her body. 

“A mummy who looks like someone just kicked them again in the ribs,” Lucy pointed out as she snatched the shirt from Alex’s hand. “Arms up. Slowly.”

“I don’t need you to dress me.”

“We could wait for someone from medical to return but you’ll miss the debriefing if you do. So, arms up.”

Alex cautiously did what she was told as Lucy slowly helped her put the shirt back on. “Thank you.”

“See, that wasn’t too hard,” Lucy added while taking a couple steps back again to retrieve the tactical jacket that was draped across a chair. “Alex, I’m saying this out of concern. You look exhausted.”

“You go five rounds with Vasquez and tell me how you look after.”

“It’s more than that. It’s been a rough few weeks and, look... Okay, I’m not sure how to say this so I’m just going to say it, I’m sorry about your… friend.” 

The way Lucy had said the word, Alex knew that she had details that weren’t public. Her face fell. 

“Don’t worry,” Lucy said while moving back to hand over Alex’s jacket. “It’s not in any reports and I'll make sure it stays that way as long as things stay professional while on duty.”

“Do I want to know how you know?”

“Probably not.”

“Alex!” Supergirl scolded, as she burst into the medical room. “What happened?”

“A’Daire happened,” Lucy explained.

“Oh my god, you’re back.” Supergirl said as she pulled the director into a hug while keeping her attention on Alex. “We’ve missed you around here.”

“Missed being here,” Lucy replied, her eyes also on Alex.

Supergirl released the director and her head bounced between both women. “Wait, what about A’Daire?”

—

They were a small group huddled around the table in J’onn’s office. The windows had been shaded to keep onlookers away. Winn sat in for what would have been Vasquez’s place at the table. As for the rest of them, J’onn seemed frighteningly calm from his perch at the head of the table, Alex had reached well past frustrated as she kept tapping a pen on to the side of her hand, Supergirl just wanted answers, and by the time the meetings started Lucy, who was pacing, was more angry than any of them had ever witnessed.

"The moment shots were fired by secret service at other secret service and the DEO, I was dragged into weeks of top-secret meetings and then dropped on the next plane back to National City only to have to Taser one of our most qualified agents. What the hell, people?"

“The good news is among the DEO ranks we had no signs of voluntary or involuntary involvement at the park,” Winn babbled. “And best we can tell Detective Sawyer fell under the thrall during the fighting and not before.”

Lucy slammed her hands onto the table in front of her. “Multiple DEO security team agents and Susan Vasquez are in confinement areas right now. They are handcuffed to gurneys and under forced sedation. Last I checked that means the DEO is compromised. Oh, and A’Daire is on the loose. We can’t be certain there aren’t moles.”

J’onn nodded. “Correct. Something set today in motion. She was behind six inches of impenetrable glass and the best security protocols government contracts can buy but she is now in the wind.”

Winn raised his hand like a kid in eighth grade science class.

“Yes, Agent Schott,” J’onn said, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, okay, see, the basis of our hypothesis up until today was that the hypnosis was built around verbal instructions.”

Alex nodded. “We had a break in the investigation just before we noticed A’Daire was loose.”

“What have you got?” Lucy asked, her patience frayed, as she took a seat.

“Winn, show them what we saw.”

“Ok, so, we discovered, well, we had help, discovering...."

J'onn cleared his throat. "Agent Schott."

"Right, so, civilian footage from the park that day ended up online,” Winn explained as he hit buttons on his tablet. The screen behind J’onn turned on and the video cued up. “Watch closely as A’Daire approaches Detective Sawyer.”

Alex took over the explanation as she stood and moved to the screen and pointed. “A’Daire touches Maggie, I mean Detective Sawyer’s shoulder, right there. A'Daire only seems to say hello. As the Detective turns, watch her eyes shift. Her gun changes position and her posture is now completely different. A’Daire just smiles, they hold eyes for a moment, and then she walks away.”

“Play the sequence again,” Kara interrupted. 

Winn nodded and did what was asked.

“It was just a hello. There is no way that was enough to plant an instruction with her words.”

“Exactly,” Alex confirmed.

“Some kind of mental connection made by touch?” Lucy asked.

"She drops her hand after Maggie turns," Kara reminds the room.

J’onn shifted in his chair. “It is possible that it was through eye contact. Also, there are hundreds of powers being discovered every day within the Meta community. Telepathic brainwashing could be among them. If Martians can read people’s minds, it would be logical to assume some people have the ability to replace thoughts or alter them through other very efficient means.”

“How do we fight something we can’t see coming?” Lucy asked.

“Well, we know J’onn and Supergirl are immune to her thrall.” Winn offered.

“Do we,” J’onn asked. “I was the last to be in her presence before the breakout.”

“Actually, you weren’t,” Winn continued as he brought up security footage from earlier in the day. The image on the screen splitting into four varied images. “I was able to check back. Here is the footage of the area in and around the cell. You two finished your interrogation and leave. No one shows up on any of the cameras until about six minutes later.” Winn trigged the tablet again to speed up the recording. “It's then that Vasquez enters the corridors and then the outer interrogation room. She immediately moves to the camera and disconnects the feed.”

“So either Agent Vasquez has been a sleeper agent or was is on it,” Lucy theorized.

“Which I refuse to believe,” Alex exclaimed.

Lucy shook her head. “Let me finish, Alex. Or A’Daire somehow got to Vasquez since she’s been in containment here at the base?”

“From Detective Sawyer’s scans, we are looking at somewhere in the forty-eight-hour window until we can expect to question Agent Vasquez.” J’onn offered. “They are doing her scans now to see if her brain is showing any unusual activity. If so, she was brainwashed at some point. In the meantime...”

Supergirl stood from her chair. “I have a city to protect.”

“And the clock is ticking,” Director Lane said pointedly.

“We’re aware,” Alex said in a tone that was, for the second time that day, not appropriate when speaking to her superior.

“Alex, “ J’onn interrupted. “You should go tell Detective Sawyer what’s happened. I don’t see them going after her again but better she’s aware and Supergirl, Cat Grant also needs to have her security detail put back in place.”

“Security detail? Sir, at this point how can we be certain anyone can be trusted,” Alex offered. It was a sobering thought.

“We’ll put the same team on Grant that she had prior to the park after we run scans on them to make sure there is no irregular brain activity. Detective Sawyer should remain under house arrest, with her new security system turned on, until we can better assess things.”

“That should go over well,” Kara and Alex both said under their breath as they moved to the door to leave the briefing.

—-

The sisters made their way out of the room together. Both of them were on edge. “Alex, can I talk to you?”

“Sure,” Alex replied.

“Somewhere private?”

“Sure. Follow me to the office?”

“Hey, guys, wait up,” Winn yelled after them.

“What is it, Agent Schott,” Alex asked in an uncharacteristically formal way. She knew it was small of her to address him as her subordinate but she was in pain and well past irritated by the day’s events.

“Look, I’m sorry to interrupt you guys but I was wondering if it was okay, can I, maybe, be the one to let Dr. Snow know what’s happening? I mean, I know I’m new to things around here but, well, I would like to do it.”

Supergirl and Alex looked at one another and then at the young IT wiz. Alex immediately felt worse for having snapped at him. “That would be a big help and I think would mean a lot to Agent Vasquez.”

“So I’ll head to the hospital and let her know?”

“This entire investigation is classified so update her in private. Make sure she is well aware that she can’t speak of this with anyone else. She also can’t have access to Vasquez but I’ll see what I can do about getting Dr. Snow frequent updates as well as access to the scans. Having treated Detective Sawyer, her insight on this might prove useful. In the meantime, maybe the two of you can work on theories as to how what we saw in that footage would be possible?”

“Okay, Yes, of course.”

“And, Winn,” Alex added with a soft smile. “Dismissed.”

“Thanks, Alex, I mean Agent Danvers.”

Supergirl mirrored the smile her sister had given him and gave Winn a soft pat on the shoulder.

“I’ll leave you guys to it,” Winn said as he turned back in the direction of his workstation.

The sisters continued to the small office that Alex had been using and shut the door.

“He’s a good guy, Kara. I see why you two became friends.”

“He’s got a big heart.”

Tossing the jacket she was carrying in her arms onto a file cabinet, Alex then took a seat. “So what did you want to talk about?”

“I thought you should know before you head out that I ran into Maggie.”

“After her appointment?”

“Yes, and she wasn’t in a great headspace.”

“It was the same when I ran into her.”

“So maybe I,” Kara suggested as she motioned to the super suit that she was wearing. “Should be the one to drop over with the official update? You could stop over a little later and check in on her as a friend instead of a DEO agent giving her the worse possible news.”

“Kara, I can...”

“I know you can. And I know you want to but maybe the A’Daire part would come better from me. It might give her a chance to talk without some of the other stuff clouding the conversation?”

Alex just stared at her sister letting the question hover.

“You know I’m right.”

Alex didn’t like it but Kara’s instincts were correct. “Okay, I’ll head to Maggie’s place after giving you two a chance to talk.”

“I’ll take care of her, Alex.”

Alex didn’t care how unprofessional she was being. She rose from her chair and pulled her sister into a hug which made her ribs remind her of her injuries. Letting out a giant breath she dropped the hug and took a step back. 

“Are you sure you are okay?”

“Only a couple of bruised ribs.”

“Are you lying?”

“No, I’m not lying," Alex replied annoyed. "Ask Lucy. She insisted on reviewing the test results.”

“She seemed especially tense.”

“It’s not been an easy assignment for her. Cleaning up after Myriad, I’m sure dealing with her father, and now this. Hardly a cake walk when taking on all that responsibility.”

“I suppose.”

“It’s hard on all of us right now.”

“I know, speaking of which," Kara said coyly "Alex can you do me a favor?”

“Sure...”

“Do you mind filling Cat in?”

Alex went through a series of looks. It started with a smile, then quickly evolved into a slight frown, and finished with a sigh and a nod of the head. “I’ll drop over to CatCo.”

“Thank you.”

“You realize this makes you a coward,” Alex teased.

Kara didn’t acknowledge the comment, merely turned on her boots and walked out the door.

—-

Arriving at Maggie’s building, Kara considered flying her way to the apartment window but thought better of it. Scaring the detective, who was already on edge, seemed a bad choice. Instead, Supergirl took the human route which got some curious looks especially while walking through the front door helping an elderly lady, who lived on the second floor, with her groceries. After getting a shy smile from two six-year-olds in the elevator, she arrived at the apartment and knocked. After a moment she heard the giant metal door being unlocked. It pulled slowly open to reveal a battered Maggie Sawyer.

“Hi, Supergirl.”

“Can I come in?”

“Sure,” Maggie said moving out of the way to allow her guest to enter. She then closed the door using her good arm. “If this is about earlier. I was in a lot of pain and it had been a long therapy session.”

“It’s not about today. Well, it is about today but not about our conversation in the locker room.”

Maggie's eyes got that same kind of worry in them as Kara had felt when Winn had called her. “What is it, is Alex, I mean Agent Danvers, okay?”

“She is but, and there is no easy way to say this, A’Daire got free.”

“What?”

“We aren’t sure how, yet, but she’s out. We have the entire DEO on alert.”

“Jesus.”

“Everyone is doing everything they can.”

“We couldn’t locate them before so you might want to temper the optimism,” Maggie said moving to the kitchen and pulling beer from the fridge. “Don’t worry I’m skipping the pain meds these days so this is safe self-medication.”

“It’s not my place to judge.”

Maggie handed two bottles to Supergirl. “Have one with me but do you mind opening mine? I can’t exactly manage it myself.”

The condition of her injuries would have made it impossible for the Detective to open the bottle so Supergirl obliged. She wasn’t really a fan of beers taste but decided to participate if only to put Maggie at ease. Careful not to use too much force, the bottles were easily opened and then she handed one back to the Detective.

Maggie took a long swig, followed by a deep breath. “She didn’t just waltz out. Was anyone hurt?”

“Everyone affected has been secured and sedated.”

“Everyone? As in?”

“Two security agents who were found pummeling one another and Agent Vasquez.”

“Susan?! Christ. Has anyone told Caitlin?”

“Winn Schott, Vasquez' coworker in cyber, went to the hospital to update Dr. Snow. She'll be okay.”

“If by okay you mean racked with guilt over whatever she did to help A’Daire get out, then sure, she'll be just fine.” Maggie offered and then took another swig while moving to take a seat on the new sofa that had turned up since Supergirl had been in the still pretty empty apartment.

“I realize this isn’t easy news to hear.”

“It’s not but I’m glad I made the must-know list. Hate to be out somewhere getting dinner or something and lose more of my life to her mind tricks. I assume this means I’m to stay put until further notice.”

Supergirl joined the Detective on the sofa. “We can’t force you but it would be best to remain in your apartment.”

“This whole thing gets better by the minute. Nothing like more isolation to help heal.”

“Not much to distract yourself with, huh?”

Maggie laughed. “Can only watch so much daytime television and going online only leads me to try and pick apart what happened.”

“Pick apart?”

“I need to know what I did but it’s all gone. I want the memories back.”

“I’m not sure that would help. It could make you feel worse. I can tell you from experience, watching the coverage of myself under red Kryptonite was difficult.”

“I need to move past what I did. “

“Is it wise to be trying to do that alone?”

“I got really good at tackling life by myself.”

Supergirl placed her beer bottle on the floor. “Can I ask a question?”

“Sure.”

“Do you want to tackle life that way or was having Agent Danvers by your side a good thing?”

Maggie exhaled. “I think we both know the answer to that.”

“But you seem to be pushing her away.”

“Because, after what I did...”

“Correction after what A’Daire made you do.”

Maggie nodded and took another swig of her beer. “After what I was made to do, I’m ashamed.”

“So tell her that. If only to start restoring your faith in yourself.”

“Maybe.”

"I don't want to push, but like I've said Alex Danvers is the best person to have in your corner and if you have any issues she can locate me.” Kara stood and headed for the front door.

“By all means leave by the window. I don’t mind. Besides, it will keep my neighbors gossiping if they don’t see you leave.”

“Always want to keep them guessing,” Supergirl said with a wink.

Maggie laughed and then gripped her ribs with the arm, not in the sling. “Don’t make me laugh. it hurts.”

“Bet it feels good to be laughing though?”

“Suppose it does.”

“Supergirl?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome and we will do everything we can to get A'Daire back off the street.”

—-

Alex exited the elevator at CatCo and headed towards what used to be Kara’s desk. Instead of her sister, a mousy girl with Kara’s similar style of muted clothing was sitting behind it. She looked up as Alex reached her. It was then because the wall was glass, Alex saw Cat Grant leaning against her desk, holding a rock’s glass and swirling what she imagined was a very expensive brown liquor of some kind. The older woman’s face was neutral but the body language was that of someone looking for a fight. Alex flashed her badge at the assistant.

“Oh, Ms. Grant told me to tell you to head right in, Agent Scully.”

Alex rolled her eyes at the reference and did as she was told.

“I was told you would be dropping by,” Cat said as the door was opened.

Alex waited for it to close behind her before speaking. “There has been an off the record development we need to make you aware of.”

“I can’t wait to hear this one.”

“A’Daire escaped,” Alex stated, ripping the band-aid off.

Cat’s face stayed neutral but her posture slumped enough to make obvious what she was thinking. “How?”

“Still putting the pieces together but with her loose again we are putting protections back in place.”

“And here I was finally making strides with my new assistant.” Cat took an extended sip from her glass.

“She can stay. We’ll place the IT detail back and your agent at the penthouse.”

“There is a reason why Agent Vasquez isn’t coming back, isn’t there?”

During this investigation, Alex was seeing first hand what made Cat Grant reputation what it was. “She isn’t available at the moment.”

“Which is code for something.”

“Off the record.”

“You already said that." Cat was beginning to sound impatient.

“She fell victim to A’Daire during the escape.”

The glass in Cat's hand was put on her desk and she stood up straighter. “Is she alright?”

“Other than a few bumps and bruises, she’s fine. Once she recovers from the thrall everything will be straightened out.”

“Good. She’s a very fine agent.”

“Yes, she is.”

“So why did you draw the short straw?”

“Excuse me.”

“We aren’t friendly, Agent Danvers. So I’m left wondering why you got to be the one to deliver the news.”

“You know why.” Alex hinted instead of saying it outright.

“She’s still angry at the fact that I’m angry.”

“Yes. She is.”

“Well, she needs to get over it and move on.”

“Ms. Grant, my sister hates disappointing people. She also hates lying but knows in the case of her identity it’s necessary if she wants to live life on her terms and protect the people who matter to her.

“Yes, yes, I’m the one being selfish,” Cat said as she took another sip from her glass and started wandering in the direction of the balcony. “Because I’m upset about the lies.”

Alex took the hint and followed. “I’m not saying that at all. I understand you needing time to process the truth.”

“I don’t need time to process the truth because I had things figured out a year ago.”

“Then why are you still outraged by her actions?”

“She and that boss of hers went out of their way to trick me and then she continued with the charade until I gave her no choice. That is what I’m finding inexcusable.”

Alex's big sister instincts, developed while standing up for Kara while growing up, started to kick in. “Kara did it to keep you safe.”

“I wasn’t safe when Livewire tried to kill me or as we all faced off against Myriad. It’s faulty reasoning. I’m not safer because I didn’t know. In fact, I would argue I was less safe as she constantly had to drum up excuses for the unexplained disappearing acts.”

“We all, myself included, pushed her to make sure she didn’t do anything that would shift the world under her feet any more than it already does on a daily basis. Most days my sister needs Kara Danvers more than the world needs Supergirl. Kara, this life working for you, keep her grounded.”

Cat Grant lifted her eyebrows. “Ironic for someone who can fly.”

“You know what I mean.”

“She’s denying who she is.”

“She’s doing just the opposite. She’s both Kara and Supergirl.”

“Well, I’m not sure which one of them I’m most angry at and until I figure it out she's going to have to get used to this side of me. Now, how can I help the DEO recapture A'Daire?”

"If you hear anything let Kara know. She let us know."

"I'll do that," Cat said and turned to look out the window. "And Agent Danvers, thank you."

"You're welcome Miss Grant."

—-

When Kara had called, Alex was relieved. It wasn’t like she thought A’Daire would make her first priority going after Maggie but still, Alex was nervous about the Detective's safety. They had broken into her place before because they thought she was a problem, why not do it again. Then again, perhaps the investigative pieces Kara had been writing were the best protection. Silencing Maggie didn’t much matter anymore with the publishing of those stories.

The timing of the call also couldn't have been better because Alex was waiting for her order at McConners. She thought taking food made for a better reason to drop over. Maggie would see straight through it but Alex didn’t much care. It was a kind gesture and if Maggie didn’t want to talk at least she would have something in her fridge for later, especially because the portions on the order doubled when Dhara realized where Alex was headed.

Arriving at Maggie’s apartment there was a slight delay when Alex buzzed but the door was eventually released and she was able to enter the building. The entire way up her mind bounced between swimming with things to say and going completely blank.

“Relax, Danvers,” Alex mumbled to herself. “Don’t over think it."

When she reached Maggie’s place the large metal door was already pulled open and the Detective was standing in the entryway.

“I brought dinner,” Alex offered, lifting the two large bags up. She immediately regretted having done so as her ribs reminded her of her injuries. Her arms went back down quickly.

“You didn’t have to but thank you. It smells great.”

“I hope it’s okay that I did.”

“Just come in Danvers. I’m starving.”

Alex gave a soft smile and entered the apartment.


	5. Chapter 5

Since it was obvious that Alex wasn’t one hundred percent, Maggie had moved to grab a couple of the bags with her uninjured arm. “Heavy,” Maggie observed as she went towards the kitchen.

Alex was grateful for the assist even if it meant she was left to slide the door shut. “Thanks,” she grunted while pulling. Her ribs protested the action but she managed.

“You look like you went a few rounds without gloves on.”

“I did,” Alex admitted as she followed. “Was it the bruising to my face or the way I winced?”

“Both.”

The apartment looked more ‘lived in’ than the last time Alex had been there. When she had gained access before Maggie was released from the hospital, in order to fill the refrigerator and organize delivery of the bed, there had been nothing of consequence. The apartment had consisted mostly of a few boxes and an air mattress but now it felt more permanent. The blackout curtains that Alex arranged for the team to install were up. The previously empty main space had a large, well worn, but comfy looking brown leather sofa and coffee table. A small circular kitchen table, with a laptop on it, broke up the empty space near the kitchen nook, as did a few wooden chairs. The paint job Kara had told Alex she had completed the night she got Maggie settled in looked good. All signs of the previously scrawled vandalism were gone. It seemed that during her recuperation Maggie had begun to rebuild her life in some promising ways which were in direct contrast to the mental anguish Alex knew the Detective was experiencing.

Moving into the kitchen and over to the far end of the counter, Alex dropped the bags she had been carrying, while ignoring the twinge of optimism she was feeling. “If you haven’t already guessed there is enough food in these bags to host a small dinner party.”

“Dhara wouldn’t take no for an answer?” Maggie asked, as she opened a cupboard and pulled out some paper plates.

“Nope. She also tossed in an entire pie and, from Terry, six bottles of that craft beer his friend from college makes.” Alex punctuated her words by pulling out the carton from the bag.

“Open up two of those beers,” Maggie requested as she grabbed some plastic silverware from a drawer.

Alex did as she was told before putting the rest of the beer in the refrigerator. “You know they care about you a lot.”

“The feeling is mutual. What was it you said that night at dinner? It was like my home?”

The comment had been tossed out like it was no big deal with a melancholy tone that left Alex confused. She handed over the beer with a question on her lips. “Speaking of home, have you called your sister?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Just because I know she’s living in Star City doesn’t mean we talk. I get a holiday card every December. I send her a birthday card every March. That’s about it.”

“I know your brother isn’t in your life but I thought you and your sister used to be, what did you always say, thick as thieves.”

“Things change.”

“You never said.”

Maggie shrugged. “Wasn’t much point in explaining it.”

Alex wanted to keep digging but thought better of it. “I’m sorry, Maggie.”

“Nothing to be sorry about. Just is. So, we might as well get it out of the way. Supergirl dropped by.”

Alex nodded as she put the pie in the fridge for safe keeping along with some of the duplicate orders. “Hope it’s okay. She offered to help. J’onn had to finish getting Lucy Lane up to speed before they had to update the White House. So it fell to me to get some of the protection details medically cleared and re-assigned.”

“Any update about Vasquez?”

“No change. Won’t be any news until that 48-hour window you helped us pinpoint.”

“You took a beating.” Maggie had made the observation with her back to Alex.

Alex was grateful Maggie had started plating the food while keeping the comment casual. Everything related to events surrounding A’Daire was fraught with emotional pitfalls that Alex wanted to avoid. “I did. It took a Taser from Lucy to bring her down.”

“She’s back then? The one that J’onn works with to keep nervous bureaucrats from questioning his 'alien' motives?”

“Yes. And hopefully, she stays around. We need all the help we can get.”

“Caitlin holding up?”

“Seems to be. She’s distracting herself with work. I managed to get her named as a consult with our DEO onsite medical staff. Her work on your case makes her insight invaluable. It comes with just enough security clearance to assist us in trying to decipher how Vasquez was controlled with A’Daire locked up. J’onn knows about Susan and Caitlin’s relationship but since it’s not exactly public knowledge we had some leeway.”

“How did it happen? There is no way she’s in on it. No way.”

“Agreed. Scans, while she’s been sedated, confirmed the increased brain activity you experienced. She was controlled. We just don’t know how.” Alex admitted. “Team is pouring over footage from headquarters to assess how it is possible but so far nothing. Everyone is on edge.”

“I know the feeling.”

“We’re doing everything we can.”

“Look, I know I’m being difficult,” Maggie started to say.

“Frustratingly, so,” Alex interrupted, making sure to keep a smile in her tone.

The comment was greeted with an eye roll. “You don’t understand what it’s like and I don’t mean the injuries.”

“Okay,” Alex replied tenderly, realizing the conversation was taking a turn.

“This is difficult.”

“I know.”

“But you keep pushing,” Maggie angrily tossed into the conversation. 

The tone set Alex off. “Because you keep picking fights to torpedo things.”

“Torpedo things? Being a touch dramatic don’t you think? Where did you get that from?”

“Something my sister said,” Alex said, without thinking.

“Your sister? What does she have to do with this conversation? She met me for like an hour and most of that time I was unconscious.”

Alex wasn’t sure she wanted to deal with how the conversation was going but she continued on anyway. “She said something about what happened between us back in school.”

“Wait, what does she know about that?”

It was time for some fast thinking. Super hearing wasn’t exactly something Alex could share. “Apparently a lot. That night she walked in on our fight it seems she put the pieces together but never said anything. Anyway, when you were in the hospital she brought up how I was afraid of being happy back then. Excused me of causing problems between us where they didn’t exist. Seems it’s your turn.”

“That’s not what I’m doing, Danvers,” Maggie replied, defensively and then paused. She pivoted on her feet, adjusted her body by rolling her neck, a look of pain on her face as she did. She stood squarely across from Alex. “I want to let you in, okay, but I’m not feeling myself right now and I’m not sure I ever will, at least not until this case is laid to rest. I need to see for myself what happened.”

“That won’t help.”

“Alex, I was violated. Do you know what that feels like?”

A lump formed in Alex’s throat brought on by the memory of the Myriad mind control. “Yes.”

The fire in Maggie’s argument diminished and her eyes softened. “Okay, so you can understand why I need to know what that woman did to me?”

“I get the compulsion but having witnessed what happened,” Alex said reaching over and taking Maggie’s uninjured hand. “And knowing you as I do, I’m worried it will make things worse, not better.”

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take and no amount of government red tape or people thinking they know what’s best for me will keep me from finding a way.”

“You’re going to keep on this, aren’t you?”

Maggie took her hand back. “Yes.” 

“You don’t have security clearance for what the DEO has collected.”

“We both know I don’t need the DEO to get what I need.”

Alex moved past Maggie out of the kitchen area. Her thoughts were racing. She then turned back to face her. “If you do this. You promise me you don’t shut me out.

“Alex, I can’t...”

“You have to promise me, Maggie,” Alex demanded as she moved back into the kitchen, one step too close to the other woman. “I’ll be here, every step, but you can’t disappear like last time. You have to stay and fight. We work the entirety of the case for all the victims, including you, but we do it together.”

“What if...”

“If you feel like acting out or need to avenge things, you fold me in. No solo missions. You promise me you won’t just internalize it all. If I’m not someone you feel comfortable talking to then you find someone you can but you don’t go it alone.”

Maggie’s uninjured hand was clenching and unclenching. She turned away from Alex and then nodded. 

“Does that mean we have a deal?”

Maggie’s head fell. “Yes.”

It was a dangerous compromise but Alex felt relieved. “First we eat and then you can make the call.”

—-

Kara might have had Alex break the news to Cat but she couldn’t stay away. Despite their issues with one another, she needed to see for herself that Cat and Carter were safe. The penthouse wasn’t exactly neutral territory but it provided more privacy than the office.

Not long after the knock, Cat opened the door wearing a casual pair of wide-leg lounge pants and a yoga top. Considering the circumstance she seemed oddly relaxed, “To what do I owe this drive-by?”

“Wanted to update you on the Lena Luthor meeting but the day got away from me. Thought stopping by was the best way to make sure we started fresh tomorrow.”

“So you thought coming to my home was professional?” Cat asked with her patented eyebrow raise. She then moved from the center of the doorway. “Well, you’re here now. Come in, update me fast so I can get back to my evening.”

“We can do this tomorrow.”

“I said, come in.” Cat might have looked relaxed but from her tone, she was still upset. “How did it go?”

Kara did as she was told and entered. The room was softly lit with meditative music playing from the speakers that surrounded the space. It looked like she had interrupted a workout except for the lack of a yoga mat and the brown liquor in a glass that sat on the mantle next to a bottle of water. She hadn’t heard of bourbon yoga but if it existed she supposed Cat Grant would be a fan of it. “We are moving forward. I need to call her to set up a time to speak on the record.”

Cat closed the door. “That wasn’t too hard now was it?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“Any first impressions I should know about?”

“She is very self-aware. Blunt. Dynamic. Far more of an open book than I had expected.”

“Surprising. I’ve not heard any of those words used to describe her.”

“She will fit right into the top ten issue.”

A smiled came to Cat’s face. “You should listen to me more often.”

“Look, Ms. Grant,” Kara said, intentionally keeping with the formality of their new tense relationship. “Just let it out. Yell at me. Scream. Lay it all on the table because this reset to back when I first started at CatCo can’t work with us. Not with everything that’s happened. With everything you know.”

“This isn’t solved by one epic battle, Kara.”

“It might not be solved but it would move us a step past this limbo.”

“You already know everything I’m going to say.”

“You’re angry because you weren’t let in on the secret. How can you not see that you made it clear, if your hunch was correct, I would lose everything?”

Cat scoffed. “Everything? Don’t be dramatic, Kara. You were going to have to stop chasing after my lunch order and instead devote yourself to helping people. That was hardly everything.”

“I do help people.”

"You want me to believe you can do both, be both?”

"Has my work been less than stellar since Supergirl arrived on the scene?"

"Your work has been,” Cat paused, whether, for dramatic effect or to use the proper word, Kara couldn’t be sure. “Acceptable."

Of course, the word she chooses was that one. “And the world is still turning? Myriad was stopped? The President protected?”

“National City is lucky to have you.”

“So I am managing both. Cut me some slack." Kara’s voice had reached a fevered pitch. She was lucky there wasn’t anything within arm’s reach or she might have smashed it to kindling.

The outburst made Cat stand taller. “I understand the dynamic between us has changed but I'm still your boss."

Kara suddenly felt guilty. “I know."

Cat’s face softened. “What's going on with you?"

The simple shift calmed Kara’s anger enough to focus her. “Other than A'Daire being loose?"

“An unfortunate development,” Cat agreed. “But on the plus side, I got my security team back which includes more incredible home cooked meals.”

Kara rolled her eyes.

“And I know Supergirl and the DEO will apprehend A’Daire and her cohorts.”

“I hope so.”

“Why are you suddenly doubting yourself?”

“There has already been collateral damage.”

Like so many times in the office, Cat took a seat on the sofa. “We’ve talked about what happened to Detective Sawyer there was no other alternative but to stop her and you couldn’t have predicted the interference. You had to protect the greater good.”

“It’s not just Maggie. It’s her, it’s seeing Alex adrift, it’s us. Everything has changed in the blink of an eye and I feel powerless to fix things.”

“Sit.” Kara looked at Cat confused by the further softening of her tone. “Kara, I said, sit.”

Despite feeling defeated, and therefore very vulnerable, Kara did as she was told. “This isn’t about the number of hours in the day.”

“I know.”

“It’s about upsetting the balance of other people’s lives because of my actions.”

“Life is always going to be filled with dramatic shifts. It’s the way you and I choose to live our lives. We aren’t the kind of people content to just go about our day, happy with a half-lived life. You surround yourself with brave, bold, souls that want to experience everything. It’s liable to be a little dramatic from time to time.”

“But you didn’t sign up for this and the fact that you know my secret places a target on your back because even if my enemies don’t discover your connection to Supergirl, your actions will be clouded by this secret. The same way my sister’s actions are constantly clouded by our connection.”

“I told Alex this and I will tell you the same thing. I am no more in danger than I was a year ago. By the nature of my position, I’m a target for disgruntled ex-employees as much as I am for high powered men who don’t like that I’ve built an empire that speaks truth to power. Knowing you’re Supergirl is never going to make matters worse.”

“You say that now.”

“I say that because it’s the truth. And as far as my actions being clouded by knowing your truth, do a little research on reporter Cat Grant. I’m always going to be the kind of person that runs towards a burning building, Kara. Your secret doesn’t change how fast I run.”

Cat's words might have been powerful but so was Kara's reasoning. “But it changes what your willing to have me do.”

“No. It doesn’t. I’ve known for certain whom you were since your alien boss changed his appearance on a crowded street. I’ve watched you manage a lot on those tiny shoulders.”

“But...”

“Let me finish,” Cat said, raising her finger. “No one can tell me I can’t be a mother and a media mogul so it would be wrong of me to say you can’t be a hero with your words and with a cape. Besides, if I believed otherwise I would be taken off Gloria Steinem‘s holiday list.”

“So what are you saying?”

Cat rose from the sofa and crossed to the bottle of water sitting on the mantle and took a sip. “I’m still disappointed you chose not to trust me but I’ll get over it.”

“It’s not that I didn’t trust you,” Kara said, standing. “If anything you’re one of the few people I trust completely. I just was afraid to lose something that makes me happy and terrified you could be hurt if you knew.”

“Well, get over both. In the meantime get me the best damn feature piece on Lena Luthor ever written and stop A’Daire.”

Kara found she was fighting back tears. “I’m on it.”

“Good. Now let me finish my workout.”

“I’ll see myself out. And, Cat...”

Cat smiled at the sound of her name. “Yes, Kara?”

“Thank you,” Kara said, returning the smile.

“You’re welcome. Kara?”

“Yes?”

“Is there any news about Susan?” 

“I’m heading to the DEO now to check in.”

“If she needs anything the DEO can’t provide, I know some of the best medical minds in the country.”

“Kind of you,” Kara replied, appreciative of Cat’s offer.

The older woman shrugged in a clear attempt to brush off the kindness. “It’s not a big deal. It would be good to cash in some of the favors with these hospitals I write checks to since they are running out of wings to name in my honor.”

“I’m sure that is the only reason you asked.”

“Don’t assume to understand my motives.”

“Of course not,” Kara replied as she left the apartment with her tiny shoulders feeling a little less burdened and with far more respect and appreciation for Cat Grant.

—-

Things were getting tense so Alex decided to shift the conversation. “I thought you were hungry?”

“I am.”

“So let’s eat. Go sit down.”

Alex handed over a plate of pasta to Maggie who then headed to the sofa and sat. 

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Alex grabbed her plate, both their beers and then took a very deep breath. Everything about what was happening was confusing and frustrating but mostly made her want to make all of Maggie’s pain go away and put a bullet between A’Daire’s eyes. The only other time Alex had been this angry was when Astra tried to kill Kara. Her sister’s Aunt had been an alien with superpowers and technically family. A’Daire might be a Meta but she was, when all was said and done, a human. Given the chance to be judge, jury, and executioner, Alex wasn’t sure she could deny herself the opportunity.

“Am I getting a protection detail?” Maggie asked, pulling Alex from her violent daydream.

“Not unless you want it,” Alex explained as she moved out of the kitchen towards the sofa with her plate in hand. As she sat, she handed over one of the beers. “I arranged to put Cat Grant’s team back in place but J’onn is willing to forgo someone watching your apartment as long as you stay here. If you want to go out you’ll have to call in and get a...”

“Babysitter?" Maggie interrupted. "So this is house arrest.”

“We can’t trust they’ll leave you alone after what happened.”

“Might give A’Daire a thrill to mess with me again?” Maggie asked as she ate.

“We can’t be sure what they know or don’t know.”

“Regarding?”

“Your part in the investigation.”

“After the hospital, there is more than me to consider,” Maggie suggested as she took a sip of her beer. “Everyone on the staff saw you there.”

“Does that bother you? Because it doesn’t bother me.”

“Alex, it's not about people talking. Have you considered it’s you and your sister who need a protection detail?”

“Why?”

“Because Kara turned my NCPD investigation into a series of articles for CatCo and because you’re the most high profile investigator on the case. I can’t hurt them but you, on the other hand, especially after today, can.”

Maggie’s logic would have made sense if it weren’t for the small, unknown, fact that Kara was Supergirl. “We can handle ourselves.”

“You got your ass kicked, twice, by brainwashed friends. You’re lucky you aren’t in a hospital bed and as much as you say you can handle yourself, and maybe you can, your sister is a reporter who has a boss under a protection detail. Kara is walking around without a care in the world. Think, Danvers. One, or both, of you, could be their next targets.”

“I’ll consider it.”

“Do more than consider it. Things are bad enough.”

Alex nodded, touched by the unspoken implication of Maggie’s concern. “We’re friends. Right?” The question was a bit of a rewind of Maggie’s previous words.

“Yes,” Maggie said and then shifted on the sofa. It was as if she wanted to say something serious but instead reached over and ran her thumb along the bruising on Alex’s cheek. “But please stop trying to change the subject, Danvers.”

Alex wanted to dissolve into the touch. “I assure you, I’m not.”

“I assure you, that you are,” Maggie argued as she dropped her hand back to her own lap.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Alex, I’ve had enough loss for two lifetimes and we both know if anything happens to your sister it would break you.”

“I’ll make some arrangements.”

“Thank you,” Maggie said and then went back to her meal. “And in the meantime we enjoy dinner and then I’m calling Oracle.”

Building trust between them was important. Having Maggie be able to be one hundred percent focused would prove an asset to the investigation. Both reasons for agreeing to this plan felt selfish but Alex knew a rogue Maggie could get herself hurt or worse. It was better to be selfish. It increased the odds of protecting her.

—-

Before dropping by headquarters, Supergirl took flight and did a citywide search for A’Daire. She came up empty, it had been a long shot, but the people responsible for recent events needed to be brought to justice and so sitting at home composing her questions on the Luthor interview could wait. It would be a long day tomorrow and she would have been better off heading home but with everything going on with Cat, the stuff troubling Alex, and what happened with Vasquez, Supergirl found she needed to be doing something even if it was just a drop in to check on Susan’s status and ask if there were any updates.

She expected the graveyard shift would be starting their day so she dropped a couple boxes of donuts for them in the break room. It was funny to Supergirl that even a highly trained group of military personnel couldn’t say no to a jelly-filled confectionary. What she didn’t expect to see was James Olsen working in an empty lab at a light table. Curious, she opened the door and went in.

“What are you doing here,” she asked over the music coming from a tablet on a nearby table.

“Hey. I could ask you the same thing.”

“Couldn’t sit still.”

James turned the music off. “Yep, but I’m here not of my own doing. J’onn didn’t want me alone without a protection detail. Since they couldn’t assign anyone until they could build another cover story as to why I had a new intern I'm back under DEO protection until tomorrow.”

“It all happened really fast.”

“I know. And the apartment they have me in here at headquarters is nicer than my own apartment so I’m not exactly sad about it.”

“They have apartments on site?”

“They do.”

“Huh,” Supergirl added as she realized she had never really wandered the entire downtown facility. “What are you working on?”

“With the new information from Winn...”

“He really needs to learn the meaning of top secret before Alex gives him a lesson he won’t forget.”

“Team Supergirl should be cut some slack,” James interjected. “We work well together, the three of us.”

“We do. I miss it.”

“So do I. Anyway, I thought I would go back over my negatives from the park and see if I missed anything.”

“Can I take a look?”

“Sure,” James agreed, handing her over a magnifier.

“I don’t need that to see them.”

James laughed. “Sorry, habit.”

She smiled at her friend and glanced at the twenty or so negatives on the table. Her Kryptonian vision brought them all into crystal clear focus. One leaped out at her immediately but not because of the investigation. “Wow.”

“Got something?”

“No. Nothing.” Her tone was hardly convincing. “Just, you, umm, took some great photos.” 

“Thanks,” James replied, eyeing Supergirl suspiciously. “Any in particular?”

“Not really.”

“Try the truth. That reaction rivals the one you had of that shot I took of you last year.”

It wasn’t something others would have seen in the moment captured by James’ len. Kara had watched Alex grow up, seen her at her lowest points and at her best but she couldn’t remember ever seeing Alex smile so authentically. She and Detective Sawyer were walking into position in the park and Alex was beaming while Maggie smiled back. It had been taken before things took a turn for the worst and it was the best photo Kara had ever seen. “Would you keep a hold of one of these for me?”

“Need to know which one to do that.” James reminded her.

“Promise to just nod and smile? No questions.”

The classic James smirk came to his face. His eyes twinkled, knowingly. “I promise.”

Something told her that he knew which one she was about to point out. Maybe most people wouldn’t have noticed it but James was different. After all, he had taken the photo. He had a great eye. “That one,” Kara said pointing to the third negative in the second grouping.

He grabbed the magnifier, perhaps for show, and looked at the negative. Nodding, he placed a hand on Supergirl’s shoulder. “I won’t lose track of it, I promise. The smile looks good on her.”

“It does.”

James turned to her and then leaned against the light table. “Have you heard any updates on Vasquez?”

“You aren’t supposed to know about that.”

“Well, I do.”

“Winn really needs to stop spilling.”

He shrugged. “On the other hand, I can’t help if I don’t know what’s up.”

“I know. No update yet. I’m going to check in with Lucy before I leave.”

“It’s good to see her. She’s stressed but thrives when the odds are stacked against her.”

“She’s a great leader.”

“She is. That survival instinct her dad forced her to learn at an early age serves her well.” There was a sadness in his voice.

“James, I can’t apologize enough for how things ended with us especially after you split up with Lucy.”

“I’m just glad we can all still be friends.”

“Me too.”

His smile was small and he shrugged again. “I should get back to it.”

“Yeah, I need to check in.”

“Catch you around.”

Supergirl couldn’t help herself and pulled James into a big hug.

“What’s this for?”

“For being you.”

After releasing him from the hug, his smile had changed to warm and inviting. Supergirl was sorry things hadn’t worked out but was grateful he was one of her closet friends.

Moving out of the office, she headed towards where she knew Lucy had set up shop. Knocking on the door, she waited for an answer.

“Come in.”

“Are you busy," Supergirl asked as she pushed the door open.

“I could use a break from all this paperwork,” Lucy said, pushing what she was working on aside. “Anything new for me?”

“Sadly, nothing. No sign of her. She hides as well as she controls people.”

“Damn it.”

“We’ll find her, Lucy.”

“I just worry at what cost.”

“No change in Vasquez condition?”

“None. Finally got Winn to convince Dr. Snow to get some rest.”

“Did she go home?”

Lucy shook her head. “No, I found her a room here since it might not be safe for her and I needed more time to line up protection.”

“Sounds like everyone is moving in. I ran into James.”

“With his connection to both you and Superman, he’s also safer under the DEO’s roof. I’m requiring all personnel to have a scan tomorrow so we can be certain we have no other sleeper agents in our midst before we complete the process of assigning protections. So far Cat Grant is the only civilian covered.”

“Is this where I remain ever optimistic or remind you the test can’t detect traitors?”

Lucy smiled and then started to laugh. The reaction catching Supergirl off guard.

“Sorry, haven’t been sleeping much,” Lucy explained. “Laughter keeps me from throwing things.”

“How is it being back?”

“It would be better if we weren’t up to our eyeballs in this impossible case.”

Supergirl returned the smile. “You would get bored.”

“I could use with some normal but thanks again for making the call.”

“After what happened at the park we need the entire team. I’m glad the President listened.”

“Had you not intervened I don’t think I would be here. It’s felt like someone has been trying to keep me out of the game.”

“No doubt those behind all this have connections.”

Lucy nodded. “I agree.”

“Soon after Myriad, there were whispers of a group called Cadmus?” Supergirl asked. 

“This isn’t them. That’s not to say they couldn’t join at some point but they aren’t pulling these strings.”

“You sound confident.”

“I’d stake my life on it.”

Supergirl moved further into the room and sat in a chair on the other side of Lucy’s desk. “That doesn’t sound like you.”

“We have people deep undercover.”

It was an adequate reason to believe her information was solid. “And, umm, what about...”

“My father?“

“Yes.” Supergirl didn’t mean to cause pain with the question but it needed to be addressed.

“He’s not fond of things he can’t explain. He’s done some horrible things that go against everything he claims to stand for but, even after last year, this seems a road too far. In public, he likes to pretend the President is his enemy. In private, he’s actually a big supporter of many of her bipartisan policies. He argues with her on things like alien amnesty but isn’t going to give up the funding she demands of Congress for the military. Politics is built on ‘trading’.”

“I’m hoping you’re right. I know last year was hard for you.”

“Myriad was hard for all of us. In the end, it worked out and everything went back to normal.”

“Well," Supergirl started to ask, cautiously. "Have you talked?”

“Kara,” Lucy scolded.

“What? Things are complicated. Just curious if you two talked about, umm, things.”

“No complications. Nearly dying, a little too much whiskey. Things happen.”

“So you’re okay?”

“Yes, so drop it.” Lucy’s tone was firm but there was still a smile she might not have been aware was on her lips.

“Dropped,” Supergirl knew it was time to change the subject. “Any luck with that other stuff I sent you?”

“Afraid not. If what you said is true, our Earth’s Barry Allen isn’t a speedster.”

“It was a long shot.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and yours will drop in again.”

“Doubtful. We should consider enlisting Oracle’s associates from Gotham. They’re human but with the training, and the tech, they are strong allies and have faced off with members of Intergang before.”

“Might not sit well with Detective Sawyer.”

“Without Batwoman’s assist, we would have had more than just brainwashed agents and relatively minor injuries on our hands. Her intervention saved lives. We need all the help we can get.”

“Speaking of which,” Lucy said deflecting the consideration. “While we were all preoccupied with what happened today I didn’t get to talk to you about something.”

“What?”

“The secret service might have a lead from surveillance.”

This was news. “They’ve not sent anything over that I know of.”

“It’s still considered top secret.”

“They’ve been hiding forensics from us?” Supergirl asked, trying to keep her temper in check.

“It’s considered ‘need to know’ until it can be thoroughly reviewed,” Lucy explained while she pulled out her phone. “After that, it should be handed over to us.”

“When?”

Lucy dropped her phone onto the table, a photo on the screen. “When they’re done with it. In the meantime, does that woman look familiar?”

Kara studied the photo. The person was in profile, standing back by the tree line wearing all black. She had long brown hair and, from what Kara could see, dark lipstick. The look was more 'night on the town' than a Presidential speech in support of diversity. “I’m sorry, she doesn’t. Why?”

“One of my sources inside the secret service investigation told me it wasn’t a “what” that destabilized your equilibrium during the attempt to contain Detective Sawyer but a “who”.”

“That woman?”

“Apparently there is video footage. Not sure of what but he was pretty confident this," Lucy pointed to the photo. "is who knocked you around.”

“Alien? Metahuman?”

“Don’t know and before you ask they didn’t give me any clue as to how.”

“Are there any other photos of her? Something Winn can run through facial recognition?”

“Not yet.”

Supergirl was really not happy with this turn of events. “Do they understand we can’t take out the syndicate without all the clues?”

“Red tape. In the meantime have Winn take a stab at IDing her.”

“Am I to assume you aren’t supposed to have that photo?”

Lucy nodded. “You assume correctly.”

“So we are already breaking the rules.”

“Many of them.”

“So it wouldn’t make much difference if we let Oracle take a look?”

Lucy stood from her desk and moved to the front of it. “How about we both pretend you didn’t ask me that question and I leave the photo up on the screen while we talk about something else?”

Supergirl took the hint and removed her phone from her boot. Opening the camera application she snapped a photo of the screen. “Like what?”

“How are you holding up now that Cat knows?” Lucy asked while leaning on the front of her desk.

“Maybe we pick a different topic.”

“She’ll let you off the hook... eventually.”

Supergirl tucked the camera back into the pocket in her boot. “That is what I’m hoping for because not being sure what I’m going to get from one minute to the next is not good for my emotional equilibrium.”

“Just proves how human you are,” Lucy offered while fighting off a yawn.

“I should leave you to it. Try and get some rest, Lucy. We all need to be in top form if we are going to get to the bottom of this.”

“Take your own advice. I realize your powers make sleep less important but something tells me this is going to get worse before it gets better.”

Supergirl hated Lucy’s lack of optimism but she was probably right. 

—-

The mechanical voice on the line seemed to laugh. “Portals?”

Alex knew it sounded crazy but once upon a time so had a prison ship of aliens having crashed on Earth. “That’s what the eyewitnesses within the community are reporting. Can you track disruptions like that?”

“Never had reason to try. Intriguing.”

“Anyone else you’ve worked with before who might?” Maggie asked.

“No,” Oracle admitted. “But there are rumors of a team that deals with this sort of thing. We’ll put out some feelers.”

“We?” Maggie asked in a tone that telegraphed she knew the answer she was about to get.

“Kate is refusing to stay out of it.”

“Oracle…”

“Please let her know we were grateful for the help,” Alex interrupted as she laid a hand on Maggie’s leg. “Anything you guys can find we would appreciate. Clocks ticking loudly again with A’Daire running loose.”

“Keep on Abbott,” Oracle suggested. “With A'Daire having escaped without him, he might be anxious to reminisce and know more than even he realizes.”

“Will do,” Alex replied and then looked at Maggie. The other woman seemed lost in thought. Was it the mention of Kate or the request she wanted so desperately to ask her computer genius friend, which had made her silent?

“Anything else you need help with?”

Cars driving past the apartment building purred outside, a car alarm was going off a few streets away. Alex took Maggie’s hand and gently squeezed it.

“I want to see the footage,” the Detective blurted out. “I need to see it.”

“I think you should reconsider, Mags.”

“Not going to so don’t waste your breath, Oracle. I’m not asking you to break the law. Just show me whatever it is that I know you were able to dig up. It’s my only way past this.”

“Maggie, you really don’t want to see it.” Even with a computer-altered voice, Oracle’s concern was easily heard. “Agent Danvers and the DEO are working hard to find the answers.”

“Why does everyone keep thinking they know what’s best for me?”

“Because we know you,” Oracle replied.

Alex managed not to smile but it wasn’t easy. It seemed they had not only an ally in the hacker but that Maggie had another person strongly in her corner who was more than just a co-worker or a source. Oracle was obviously someone else the detective could go to if her outlook grew darker and someone Alex could also go to if she needed. First, the hacker had to agree to turn over the footage. Without that, Alex knew, whatever trust Maggie and Oracle shared would dissolve. “She’s determined to see it, Oracle. We both know she’ll go rogue to do it. Better she has us supporting her.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the computer feed. “Okay.”

Maggie exhaled. “Okay?”

“Yes, but you don’t do it alone or I send Kate on the next flight to National City.”

Alex tried not to let jealousy rear its ugly head. “She won’t be alone.”

“Give me twenty minutes,” Oracle’s mechanical voice relented.

“Thanks, Barbara,” Maggie said softly.

There was a loud exhale. “Don’t make me regret this. Either one of you.” The connection went dead.

Alex hadn’t given much thought to the identity of the Gotham hacker but now, after such a reveal, she got a small jolt of pride out of the fact that it was a woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you can forgive the delay brought on by the usual pre-holiday chaos. Hopefully, the fact this is a double length chapter makes up for some of it. Thanks to everyone that has been taking the time to comment, kudo, and share with friends. Happy holidays.


	6. Chapter 6

Alex had somehow convinced Maggie to take a shower while she would finish picking up the mess from dinner. Waiting and watching the clock wouldn’t do either of them any good. Drinks would have continued to be consumed and the tension was high enough in the apartment. Alex had been impressed with herself when she laid out that particular reasoning. Granted the intent wasn’t flirtation. It wasn’t until it came out of her mouth that she realized the unintended implication of her words. Whatever the interpretation the result was a sad smile and Maggie agreeing to step away for a bit.

Alex needed to keep things calm. Having seen the footage Alex was as prepared for what they would see as she could be and yet felt not prepared at all because of how Maggie was likely going to react. This was going to devastate her. After Alex’s own experience with mind control, when Non had used her to attack Kara during the Myriad incident the previous year, she understood the horrifying violation one felt. She just wished she could make all the pain go away which she knew was impossible. With Maggie’s reactions to everything since leaving the hospital, there was no clear-cut correct decision. Seeing herself controlled would be ugly but over time the despair from not knowing what happened would chip away at her in ways that might be far worse.

If there was an upside to all of this, Oracle turning over her findings meant there was no way the DEO could discipline anyone. The footage was in the public space having been pulled from Internet. The World Wide Web made it easier to amplify the bad but Alex also knew it was also a source of good. In this case, keeping them both from federal prison.

So Alex was counting down the minutes for the download to be complete so Maggie could see and start to process things instead of relying on her imagination to drum up some version of events. Being by her side also meant Alex could keep Maggie from starting her own solo investigation and watch to make sure she didn't begin to grow destructive. Alex's intentions weren't entirely altruistic, however. Maggie wasn't the only one liable to go off and do something dangerous. As evidenced by what had happened at the DEO and the anger she had started to feel while watching A'Daire escape, Alex’s rage continued to build. Focusing on Maggie's well-being Alex hoped would prove to be the balance she needed to avoid going rogue.

As she put the rest of the food away, Alex’s watch buzzed. Turning her hand over she glanced at the display on the underside of her wrist. The smart devices were recent additions to the DEO. They had been told they weren’t 'hackable' but, as usual, they were wrong. Oracle’s teardrop graphic was on the screen. It dissolved as words appeared in its place.

“Do not leave her alone after she watches the footage.” The words appeared one after another as if typed on an old typewriter. “This will be painful for her.”

Selecting the writing mode, Alex drew her finger across the screen. “I know.”

“I found some better footage after providing what you already saw. I’ve cut it together. It is very thorough.”

Alex didn’t have words for the revelation. Her heart just sank.

“Thank you for looking out for her. The file is uploaded. When done viewing tonight, delete it, no matter what she says. Otherwise, she’ll obsess over it.”

“Okay,” Alex wrote back.

The screen went blank and then returned to the watch face. Grabbing her nearly empty beer, Alex downed the rest and leaned on the counter, dreading what was coming. Strength was one of the qualities Alex appreciated about herself. It had been forged over many years of being alone and had served her well during tough times but she was concerned that she didn’t have enough strength to be the support Maggie was going to need when she finished seeing exactly what happened. Hell, she wasn’t sure she had enough strength to manage what she was about to watch. When the government came and told her family that their father was missing and presumed dead, her mother and Kara fell apart. Alex grew thick skin. She closed herself off and learned to mourn when no one was watching. Concentrating on her studies and being kind to Kara kept her mother off her back and were the perfect cover to keep people from seeing the pain she was feeling. The result of her isolation was a list of negatives as long as her arm and when it came to strong emotions whether love or hate, happiness or sorrow, Alex Danvers kept it all locked away. Over the years, when those things were left bottled up for too long, the result was destructive. Her life choices after Maggie had walked out years ago were evidence of that. Was she equipped to be present enough now because Maggie needed her to be?

Having heard the water turn off a few minutes prior, Alex could only wait for Maggie to emerge. Alcohol was a bad call but she pulled another beer from the fridge and opened it anyway. Taking a long drink from the bottle she felt the hoppy liquid travel down her throat and knew it wasn't going to help one bit.

“Better leave me some,” Maggie said as she stood just outside the kitchen area. She was freshly showered, her hair still wet, and dressed in baggie sweats that she somehow made look sexy. After admiring Maggie in a way that was far from platonic, Alex then noticed Maggie’s brace wasn’t on her arm and shoulder.

“Everything okay,” Alex asked, concerned. She put the beer down and crossed to where Maggie stood.

Maggie had her arm bent, her other hand holding it and some kind of contraption, and she looked pained. “I’m fine. Just can’t manage the brace very easily on my own.” 

“Does it hurt?”

“Excruciating.”

Alex wondered how Maggie had managed to dress over the last few weeks on her own. It crossed her mind that maybe this was Maggie’s subtle way of getting comfort that she wasn’t willing to ask for so Alex told herself to ignore the logic of the moment and help. Alex smiled. “What can I do?”

Maggie handed over the brace and when Alex had it securely in her hands she guided her arm inside of it until the contraption made of cloth and metal was all the way up her arm. It looked almost robotic. After slowly bending her arm at the elbow Maggie held everything with her uninjured hand and looked up at Alex. “The metal and fabric straps need to be wrapped around while the molded piece lays across my upper back. Then it all needs to be pulled, slowly, until my shoulder is secured.”

“Slow. Got it.” Alex moved to behind Maggie and began to do as she was told. Her eyes were unable to avoid staring at the dull bruising, that was poking out from the collar of Maggie's shirt. Alex ghosted her fingers for a moment about an inch from the visible damage. She wanted to touch them, as Maggie had done to her cheek earlier, but knew she shouldn’t. Re-focusing on her task she moved to the front and then slowly pulled the one piece that wrapped all the way around the Detective's body. It made them both wince, Maggie from her arm being secured and Alex from exerting herself while her ribs still ached.

“Aren’t we a pair,” Maggie observed as they now stood face to face with Alex completing the last bit to secure things. The logo on the shirt Maggie was wearing now obscured by the large strap of fabric that had been clipped back in place to the metal piece holding her arm.

“Yes.” Alex wanted to be smart, witty, or sarcastic. Her mind had gone blank and she only was able to manage the one-word answer.

“Any word from Oracle?”

“Files waiting for us.” The blinking of Maggie’s eyes might have been missed had they not been standing so close. “We don’t have to do this tonight. We don’t have to do this ever.”

“I do.”

“I know.”

They stood there for a moment, not more than a foot between them, breathing the same air.

Maggie broke the spell and moved the rest of the way into the room. “Sofas probably the easiest place to view it.”

“I’ll get it.”

Maggie nodded and Alex went to get the laptop. A hand on Alex’s arm stopped her as she passed. “Thank you for this, Alex.”

A sad smile and a small nod had to serve as a response because Alex was afraid if she spoke the fear in Maggie’s eyes would cause Alex to start crying. Once Maggie let her go, Alex retrieved the laptop, considered smashing it to the ground but instead brought it to the sofa. A file labeled “park” with the date was waiting for them. Within the next ten or so minutes nothing would be the same.

Maggie shifted some on the sofa. “You’ve seen it.” It hadn’t been a question.

“I saw a version of it. Oracle messaged while you were in the shower. She found more since then.”

“And that footage was...”

Alex sat next to Maggie on the sofa. “Detailed.”

“So this is more?”

Alex merely nodded.

“Good. I’d rather see it all in one shot.”

“If you need to stop at any point. Just ask.”

Maggie let out a deep breath.

“Before we watch this I have one small request,” Alex added.

“Of course you do, Alex,” Maggie somehow managed to joke.

“I think it would be best not to tell anyone you've seen this.”

“Afraid they will bench us?”

“The thought crossed my mind.”

“Agreed.”

“That seemed too easy.”

“I want these people behind bars and that won’t happen with you off this case.”

“If we are off this case,” Alex corrected.

“Your ribs will heal. I’m out of the field for a while with this injury. That leaves you.”

“And you working the facts.”

Maggie didn't argue the point. “Push play.”

When the video began someone with a cell phone was recording the President speaking. Alex knew the speech wasn’t what Oracle meant by the additional footage. As an explosion echoed through the park, the camera phone whipped in the direction of the sound. There was no turning back now. Screams could be heard coming from those around whoever was taping and then the person began to run while leaving it running. After thirty some seconds, the rustling of plants and the sight of leaves filled the screen.

“We should keep going!” A male voice yelled from off camera.

“You go,” a woman, perhaps the person with the phone considering the loud volume of their voice, shouted back. “I want to see what happens.”

“You’re nuts.”

“I want to be a reporter someday. That’s what they do.”

A mumbled bit of shouting that was growing quieter followed and then the talking stopped as the camera wiggled up from the bushes. Decent quality footage of the entire park grew grainier as the lens panned in just as Maggie was colliding into three teenagers halfway across the lawn. Off to one side, Abbott was transforming into a monster near the tree line.

“Holy shit,” said the voice of the person, seemingly, holding the camera.

A half a second later, from the opposite side of the frame, Supergirl flew in while in the foreground Vasquez, along with secret service, were handcuffing someone as they lay on the ground. It was then Alex saw J’onn settle in next to Supergirl in the air. 

Maggie had leaned forward.

This had been all new footage, which abruptly faded into another angle. The new vantage point was cleaner and seemed to be professional quality as the camera was steady and the shot was closer up but still high definition. There was a web media company logo on the bottom right of the footage but Alex didn’t care at the moment where the footage had come from instead her eyes were on the sight of two secret service agents drawing their weapons and her body was very aware how close she and Maggie were sitting to one another. 

"Aim for the body mass. It should slow him down," Maggie could be heard yelling.

This was also stuff Alex hadn’t seen before. The agents turned their weapons towards Maggie, which made Alex hold her breath. She had lived it but had been occupied with other things during the fight. The sight of the guns turning made her blood run cold. They then aimed up and began firing at Supergirl. Of course, bullets couldn’t do any damage to her sister but it was still difficult for Alex to watch. Maggie had put her gun away and was running at the agents that were shooting, managing to tackle one to the ground as the other kept firing. The camera panned up to where Supergirl was hovering and showed the bullets bouncing off her suit.

Alex wished she could turn to look at Maggie’s eyes as she watched but didn’t want to make her feel more exposed. Instead, she used as much peripheral vision as she could and saw Maggie digging the nails of her good hand into her thigh.

The video then crossfaded again to that of the grainy phone footage from before. The angle from the hiding place wasn’t ideal but enough to show the compromised agent punching Maggie in the jaw and then get to his feet just as the Detective aimed her boot at his kneecap. Even with all the other noise, they could hear him cry out which caused a smile to grow on Alex’s face as she watched things unfold.

Not wasting any time Maggie had gotten to her feet to move on the other agent as Batwoman entered the frame and took him out with a roundhouse along with an effective frontal assault. Her form was impressive. With both assailants down, the exes seemed to be yelling at each other and then Maggie rushed out of the frame as the camera stayed on Batwoman and the footage crossfaded again.

It was back to the earlier steady camera with Supergirl being thrown into the center of the park. Alex was unsuccessfully trying to use street fighting tactics against Abbott’s changed form. It had been the wrong call as he just missed ripping her arm off. For the first time, Maggie, sitting next to Alex on the sofa, had gasped. 

Five shots rang out as the camera panned back up to Supergirl and then the angle changed again to equally professional looking camera work as Abbott leaped at Maggie, knocking her down. He then violently slashed her with his claws. Her shirt began to turn crimson as she started to bleed. Gunfire echoed, along with the sounds of fighting happening all over the park, as the monster jumped out of the frame and Maggie stood, tense, and wobbly.

This time, as the footage changed again, the bug in the corner of the footage wasn’t identifying a news outlet of any kind but was a symbol, one that seemed ominous. Where had Oracle gotten what they were now watching? Alex’s question would wait as she felt Maggie grip her hand. The warmth of the contact was surprisingly soothing even with what Alex knew was coming next. Maggie also seemed to know as Alex could tell she was holding her breath. Alex really wanted to push stop but didn't. 

A’Daire approached the badly beaten Detective and smiled. There they both were, standing in the middle of the chaos, Maggie bleeding, her eyes determined and then, what would normally be considered unexpected, happened. Maggie’s tense shoulders dropped and her eyes went soft. The earlier materials Oracle had sent hadn't been from this angle but this confirmed what Alex had theorized. A’Daire had said nothing to inspire the relaxation Maggie exhibited. 

Maggie took in a sharp breath. Knowing what was coming, Alex began to gently run her thumb over the back of Maggie’s hand hoping it would keep her grounded and remind her she was safe.

The video changed again, back to the new's footage. It showed Supergirl being pitched like a baseball by Abbott and colliding with a statue that turned to dust on contact. After a shake of her head, Supergirl flew at Abbott fast, connecting with his midsection and causing the monster to crumble. There was a break in the edit and it picked up with Vasquez, and others in the DEO, securing Abbott as J’onn landed nearby and a second later Alex took off running. It was after that the ominous footage was back and showing Maggie drawing her weapon. 

In the living room, Maggie was tightening her grip on Alex’s hand. Careful not to cause any pain Alex mirrored the contact to let Maggie knew she was right there with her. 

On the laptop, Alex was slowly moving towards Maggie, whose gun was drawn. Whoever was filming somehow got clear audio of Maggie yelling nonsense as her hand that was holding the gun shook and her eyes filled with panic. From out of nowhere Supergirl buzzed into the frame and out again.

"I've got this. Vasquez needs you," Alex yelled off camera, as the shaking of Maggie’s hand, and therefore her gun grew more pronounced.

"But Alex," The hero pleaded.

"I've got this Supergirl!”

It was in that split second that Maggie’s attention shifted to Supergirl, perhaps a testament to her determination and struggle against A’Daire’s thrall. It was the opening Alex needed as she advanced quickly and swung. Her hand made contact with the hand holding Maggie’s gun and the weapon flew out of the frame. Maggie’s attention snapped to Alex and a fight, similar to their training fight at the DEO, commenced. This time Maggie looked like she wanted to not only win but also beat Alex to death. Punches were thrown, legs were swept, and blood started pouring from wounds on both their hands and face. Alex was dropped hard onto her back. Maggie, filled with rage, was quickly advancing. 

In the living room, Maggie tried to release her hand from Alex's grip. Alex denied Maggie the chance to pull away and instead caressed the back of her hand again with her thumb. "I'm right here, Maggie. It's okay."

The start of a high-pitched noise echoed through the audio track causing it to crackle and go silent. It was then that Supergirl entered the frame, her flying compromised. The previous angle abruptly stopped and changed to the new's footage, which was also completely silent. It captured Supergirl’s uncontrolled collision with Maggie. It was horrible to witness but Alex was thankful for small favors being there was no sound. Hearing Maggie’s bones crack that morning was something Alex would never forget and never wanted to hear again. 

The video went to black.

Alex felt herself start to cry as she held Maggie's hand. The detective sat completely still, no longer trying to pull her hand away. She was barely breathing. There was no yelling or violent outburst, Maggie just sat silently as tears also poured down her cheek like from a faucet.

“Play it again,” Maggie eventually said as the tears subsided.

“We don’t have to.”

“Play it again.” The pain lingered in every word.

Alex did as she was told about a dozen times. On each viewing, Maggie's reaction diminished with the tears eventually not coming at all, only the silence remained, which upset Alex, even more. Alex only grew angrier, her breathing faster, her need to throw something or hit something increasing on each viewing. During the final time through it wasn't until a soft hand lay on hers that she remembered she had to be the stronger one tonight. She closed the lid of the laptop and they sat there for a long while.

Maggie brought her hand to the back of her neck. “Alex?”

“Yeah.”

“I, I need you to do me a favor.”

The words cut Alex deep but it was the tone of Maggie's voice which broke Alex's heart. “Anything.”

“I don’t think I can be alone here tonight. Would you...”

“Of course,” Alex interrupted. “Whatever you need.”

“I don’t want to send any mix signals.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

“But I do.”

“Don’t. Tonight is about you," Alex explained. "Let’s get this laptop put away and get you settled into bed. I’ll take the sofa.”

“You don’t have to...”

“I do,” Alex sadly responded.

Standing from the sofa, Alex then took the laptop to the table and set it down. Opening it, she did as Oracle said and dropped the file in the trash and clicked the erase button before shutting the lid again. Neither of them needed to see that anytime soon.

When Alex turned around Maggie was standing, in the kitchen, finishing what was now Alex's warm beer from earlier. Her face was drawn and her eyes were elsewhere.

Alex approached slowly and gently removed the bottle from Maggie's hand. “You’ll feel better after you get some sleep. Let’s get you settled in.”

Maggie nodded as Alex put the bottle on the counter and then took Maggie's hand and led her to the bedroom. After flipping on the light, they stood for a moment neither knowing what next. As was the dynamic during most of the evening, Maggie finally broke the tension by taking a shaky breath, gently squeezing and then dropping Alex’s hand. She moved to the far side of the bed, one Alex recalled, in the past, she didn’t sleep on. As she pulled the comforter down, Maggie looked at Alex. “Please stay in here.”

Alex’s mind was racing only a tiny bit faster than her heart. “It can’t be comfortable having someone else in the bed with your injury.”

“The bed is huge.” Maggie wasn't lying, the bed filled most of the room. "If you aren't comfortable, I understand. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Alex let a soft smile come to her lips. She could do this. “You aren't. I'll stay in here.”

After flipping off the light, Alex carefully, as to not hurt herself, slid closed the pocket door which made the lights from the rest of the apartment disappear. Darkness would be her friend, she told herself, as she maneuvered to the other side of the bed. Sitting on it, she removed her shoes and socks and then slid them underneath. Pulling aside the sheets and comforter, Alex climbed in and carefully laid on her back. She tried to think of things other than brainwashing, or violence, or the smell of shampoo that filled the room from Maggie’s still slightly damp hair.

Maggie sighed. “Would it be okay?”

The incomplete question hovered in the darkness but Alex knew what was being asked.

“Of course,” Alex replied adjusting her arm, which was slowly filled with Maggie. Her brace and arm brushed Alex's side just enough to cause a shiver to run through her that wouldn’t be addressed. “We will stop them, Maggie. We will make them pay.”

“I know.”

No more words were spoken that night. Once Maggie's breathing became slow and steady, making it clear she had fallen asleep, Alex laid in the dark and cried silently.


	7. Chapter 7

The slow caressing of her hair felt wonderful and so Alex remained still, hovering between sleep and consciousness. Despite the wonderful sensation there was also pain as her body reminded her of the beating she had taken the previous afternoon. Every inch of her ached, except where she felt soft hands moving through her short locks. Opening her eyes, she looked up into the dark, sad ones that had been watching her sleep. Everything came into focus and it was both wonderful and hurt like hell but not, in this case, from the injuries. This pain was empathy for the woman looking down at her.

“Morning,” Maggie whispered.

Alex yawned. “Morning.”

“How are the ribs?”

“Hurt.”

“Like I said, we make quite the pair.”

Things were so relaxed it could have been a dream and if so Alex wanted to remain sleeping. This was the kind of tranquility she missed about the quiet moments of her past with Maggie. “Did you sleep?”

A bright smile rose to her lips and Maggie’s tone softened. “Best rest I’ve had since...”

The look felt wrong and the confession startling. Alex couldn’t get her head around how relaxed Maggie was being about seeing the footage. “How?”

“I’ve seen what happened and I guess now I can move on.”

Alex didn’t want the caressing to stop but she shifted anyway and carefully sat up. Leaning against the headboard, she slowly turned to face Maggie. “I never expected you to be so numb about it.”

“Numb? I wouldn’t say numb. Just passed it,” the detective said as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Those kinds of feelings don’t just turn off overnight, Maggie.”

“What,” Maggie asked, shifting on the bed and eyeing Alex. “Oh, Supergirl reported back to her superiors?”

Dragging Kara into things hadn’t been intentional on Alex’s part but it was the largest evidence that Maggie hadn’t been fine about any of it and had been understandably lashing out. “She was concerned for you and knew we were... friends.”

“Yep. Friends.” Maggie repeated sarcastically as she turned away and then swung her legs around, getting out of bed.

Alex knew all too well what was coming. It was time to argue and she wasn’t in the mood but couldn't bring herself to back down either. “Pick a direction, Maggie.”

“I might be directionless,” Maggie blurted out as she stalked past the foot of the bed and into the living room through the door that had been opened at some point during the night. “But whatever we are, Alex, we are more than friends.”

“Says the woman who has pushed me away for weeks and says she doesn’t want to send mix signals,” Alex yelled from the bedroom, as she got out of the bed too quickly and almost collapsed from the pain that shot through her ribs.

“I don’t.”

Gaining her equilibrium, and grateful Maggie hadn’t seen her difficulty, Alex followed into the other room. “You are officially doing exactly that.”

“Why? Because I’m all too aware of recent events between us?”

Alex started to head back toward the bedroom but stopped and turned to glare at Maggie. “No, because I woke up to you running your fingers through my hair.”

“I can’t help that I’m drawn to you,” Maggie shouted. The confession was dripping with equal parts frustration and passion.

Alex flopped onto the edge of the bed and started putting her socks and shoes on. After getting one set completely on, Alex appeared back in the doorway. “This, us, you yell and scream about… but not what we saw last night.” Alex went back to complete her task. Her composure gone.

Maggie appeared in the doorframe of the bedroom. “I’ve been in this empty apartment yelling and screaming for weeks.”

“Whose fault is that?”

“I needed space.”

“Which I gave you.”

“I’m screamed out.”

“Good for you,” Alex said as she rose from the bed and moved past Maggie into the living room collecting her jacket. “The rest of us didn’t get that luxury because we were busy working every waking hour of the day to bring down those responsible, while, for the record, trying to ignore the feeling of being pushed aside. And now watching everything that happened, multiple times, in high definition,” Alex’s voice trailed off for a second as she tried to get a hold of her emotions and failed, tears running down her face. “Seeing that fight between us... it broke me, Maggie.”

“Technically, it broke me.”

The glib comment was the last straw. “How dare you make a joke of this,” Alex yelled as she moved to the front door.

“Hey, hey,” Maggie repeated as she followed as quickly as her broken body would let her. She managed to catch Alex’s arm as she struggled to open the door. “Look, it’s where I am right now. I’m sure if you give me a few hours that will change but right now I’m too tired to be angry, or even sad, and, apparently, I’m incapable of saying the right thing.”

“Once again we find ourselves in different places. I’ll see you at our next briefing,” Alex coldly explained as she pulled the door open.

The alarm system the DEO had installed began to beep which gave Alex her arm back as Maggie leaped towards the control panel to disarm it.

Alex took the opportunity to put distance between them. She could hear Maggie calling her name as the elevator door opened. Entering it, Alex turned around and as the beeping stopped in the apartment and the elevator door began to close she saw Maggie standing in the doorway with her uninjured hand on the doorframe.

Alone again, Alex wiped her tears so that by the time the elevator was opening on the first floor she looked as if everything was fine while still choking on frustration, and fear, and anger from not only the investigation but also the insufferable woman she had just left. How could Maggie be so calm? What happened had nearly killed her. What happened was now hindering her career. What happened had driven them apart once again. Did Maggie really not care?

As Alex pushed open the door to the outside her watch buzzed. Turning her wrist over, the alert she scrolled through made it clear that the next briefing was going to be later that day. It was Alex’s turn to need space and she wasn’t going to be getting it today.

—-

Sure she had a big breakfast but before heading to the DEO for the afternoon briefing Kara needed more food. Her metabolism was either way out of whack or Kryptonians could stress eat as easily as humans. Sitting at a table at the busy cafe Kara had just finished ordering when a familiar voice called to her. Looking up from her cup of coffee she saw Lena Luthor waving. Kara gave a warm smile and waved back as she watched Lena move through the tables towards her.

“Nice to see you.”

“Same,” Kara replied as she turned her DEO phone over. “Sorry I haven’t called about setting up the interview. You were on my list for this afternoon.”

“It’s okay. I understand. Must be busy covering everything going on with that prisoner escape.”

“It’s been a busy twenty-four hours.”

“That was some press conference. I’m glad they released the fact that woman is loose. The public needed to be informed so that they can stay diligent.”

Kara nodded. “It might help with public trust but the general public appears to be safe. From our reporting at CatCo, the way this criminal operation seems to be going about things there are only specific communities I worry about.”

“Not to mention the President. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to protect someone so high profile. My life has been complicated, filled with unimaginable threats to my life, but what happened in that park is another level,” Lena said as she looked around the cafe. “Would you mind if I joined you? The place is packed and I’m starving.”

“Yes, no, I mean, of course. Take a seat.” Kara offered as she pushed her glasses back up onto her nose.

A wide smile appeared on Lena’s face as she pulled the chair out and sat. “I would think you were following me if you weren’t here first.”

The comment drew an awkward laugh from Kara. What was it about this woman that had Kara so flustered?

Grabbing the small menu, which was resting between the sugar and the salt and pepper, Lena looked it over and then waved at the waiter who nodded and approached.

“May I get a tea?

“Honey or lemon?” The waiter asked.

Lena shook her head. “Just the tea.”

“Anything to eat?”

“Egg white omelet with mushrooms and spinach. Did you order already?”

“I did,” Kara replied as she lifted her coffee to her lips.

“Be right back with that.”

“Thanks for letting me join you, Kara.”

“No problem.”

“How is everything with your sister?”

Kara could land an airplane as Supergirl but lying wasn’t something she was good at doing. “She’s, umm, fine. It was a mild accident on her motorcycle. Bruised her ribs but she’s okay.”

“At first I thought maybe you had someone call to cut the meeting short.”

“I wouldn’t have done that. People do that? Why would someone do that?”

The smile returned to Lena’s lips along with a tiny laugh. “They aren’t sure what they will get when they first meet me and are merely satisfying a curiosity by doing so. Once that is met, they tend to make quick exits.”

“That’s terrible. People are terrible.”

“Very often they are.”

Kara found the honesty in Lena’s tone was more interesting than her words. “Must be frustrating.”

“Builds character and has made me a good judge of people.” Lena shrugged. “I’m grateful to Cat Grant for choosing you to interview me.“

“So am I.”

“Did I wow you with my winning personality,” Lena teased as she leaned forward in her chair.

Looking into the other woman’s eyes, Kara couldn’t help but be honest. “I mean, absolutely. This is going to sound strange, and please don’t take offense, but you peaked my curiosity.”

The laugh from Lena was loud and endearing. “You are so refreshing. I hope it was peaked in a good way.”

“It was.”

The waiter dropped a large stack of pancakes with two strips of crispy bacon in front of Kara, along with her check. “There you are, miss.”

“Thanks.”

Lena’s eyes were almost as wide as her smile.

Kara had spent her whole life on earth seeing that look on people’s faces during meals. “I skipped breakfast.”

“This entire month,” Lena asked with another laugh. “Sorry, that sounded rude. It’s jealousy talking. If I so much as smell those, I need to add an hour on the elliptical.”

“Would you like a bite?”

“Don’t tempt me.”

“Oh, come on.” It was Kara’s turn to tease. “Live a little.”

“Off the record?” Lena asked her face serious but her eyes bright.

“No one will know your secret crush on maple syrup on wheat pancakes with bananas and whip cream.”

Lena used the fork in front of her to grab a small piece from the side of just one of the pancakes.

“You can do better than that.” Kara pointed out as she poured more syrup over the stack.

Lena shook her head and then let her fork cut thru a small piece from each of the pancakes on the plate. Eyeing them until her eyes closed as she savored the bite.

“Worth it?”

“Worth it,” Lena nodded. “So what brought you to this side of downtown? The pancakes?”

Kara picked up her fork and began to eat. “I was actually doing some follow up interviews with the Meta and alien communities. Centered things around news of the escape and allowing them to address their concerns about safety.”

“Has anyone, like NCPD or the Feds, sent in protection for those communities?”

Kara couldn’t keep her feelings about the question from her face. The compassion coming from this curious woman was unexpected.

“What,” Lena asked as she put the fork down and took in the look Kara was giving her.

“You keep surprising me.”

“Why? Is it because my brother has such a strong aversion to aliens?”

“That kind of bigotry usually comes from somewhere and often times its family.”

“In Lex’s case, it grew from his feeling of inferiority.”

Kara didn’t want the other woman to think she was being interviewed. “We don’t have to talk about this.”

“It’s okay. I’ve told my therapist this, and far worse, many times over.”

“But I’m not your therapist,” Kara interrupted, as she lifted her coffee to take another sip. “You shouldn’t feel like sitting with me automatically means this has to be an interview.”

“If including that works for your story, I’m fine with it being on the record. At this point, I would say it to his face if he wasn’t in a maximum security federal facility unable to have visitors.”

The door had been opened so Kara’s instincts told her to continue. “Okay, so where does your empathy come from?”

“Growing up in that family, as a walking embodiment of my father’s infidelity, it forced me to form my own perspective on life and people.”

“So it wasn’t something your family instilled?”

Lena’s laugh was bold enough that a few people turned to glance at the table. “No.”

“I’ve known many people who were products of their past, both good and bad. Seldom has a rough childhood translated to a completely positive result. There is usually something that imprints even if it’s only a lack of trust in people.”

Lena nodded. “I can’t deny that I have that issue but I read a lot and when I got older was able to travel and experience many walks of life. You can’t help but develop empathy when you meet people living in big cities in unimaginable poverty or children in small villages who sleep on the ground in a hut.”

Kara wanted to stay and continue to learn more but she had to get to the briefing. “Sorry to cut this short but I have to get to an appointment,” Kara explained as she took the last bite of her pancakes and then slid cash into the check the waiter had dropped.

“It was a nice surprise to run into you, Kara.”

“I promise to call you later to schedule the real sit-down.”

“What is tomorrow night like for you?”

Kara contemplated the invitation as she picked up her phone and her bag. She supposed that barring a giant emergency she was free. “Umm, I’m free. I think.”

“No time like the present. Dinner?”

“I’ll confirm tomorrow morning?”

“Perfect. Thanks for letting me interrupt your pancakes.”

“It was nice running into you.”

“It was.” Lena’s reply was instant and her eye contact, direct.

As Kara walked away she placed her hands into the pockets of her slacks. Her curiosity over this woman, who under different circumstances could easily be her enemy, was remarkable and perhaps a little bit dangerous.

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life sometimes gives you lemons that make crappy lemonade which is why my writing schedule has slowed recently. Promise to update whenever I can. Thanks to everyone for their patience.


	8. Chapter 8

The conference room was quieter than normal and everyone seemed on edge. The pain from Alex's injury was intense and she was barely managing shallow breaths without her eyes watering. She had hardly slept the night before and had started her day fighting with Maggie who now sat across from her at the conference table. Alex caught Maggie glancing in her direction while tapping a pencil on her leg. The nervous tick was something she did when she was anxious. Alex used to find it endearing but right now it was the most irritating thing in the world.

Supergirl was sitting next to Maggie without a hint of her cheery disposition. Alex knew Kara’s distracted face and wondered what was going on. Winn, who was usually the chattiest of the group, was silent. He was sitting next to Alex banging away on his tablet. A quick glance in his direction and Alex saw Vasquez medical records on the screen. There was still no change in her condition. 

At the head of the table were Lucy and J’onn. Lucy was reading over something on her tablet while J’onn merely sat silently waiting for the meeting to start. It was his silence that worried Alex the most. He never intended to eavesdrop on people’s thoughts but had once told Alex that louder minds made his gift difficult to push aside. Alex knew her mind was screaming so she suspected he was getting a ‘mind full’ of information he didn’t want to have. 

“So,” Lucy began as she put her tablet down and stood from her chair. “We have quite a few things to go over today including new Intel on the attack but first I want to thank Detective Sawyer for agreeing to remain on the task force. It’s good to finally meet you. Your insight will be very valuable.”

“I’m happy to help where I can,” Maggie replied in a tone that most people would consider respectful but Alex knew was dripping with caution. Given the chance, Maggie and Lucy could actually grow to respect one another but building trust under these heightened circumstances wasn’t going to be an instant process.

“You realize there will be some things that your temporary security clearance doesn’t allow us to share with you?”

Maggie nodded. “Yes."

“Good,” Lucy said as she sat back down. “Now that we are all on the same page there is a small matter we need to get out of the way. Alex, both you and your sister, Kara, are getting a protection detail.”

The announcement wasn’t a surprise. Alex had gotten to J’onn and Lucy before the meeting to make sure it was brought up. It was a necessary tactical move if only to keep Kara’s secret. As far as Maggie Sawyer and the bulk of National City were concerned Kara was just a mousy reporter for CatCo covering the murders for the media giant. This put her in the crosshairs of those responsible for the attacks and so Kara Danvers needed a protection detail.

Alex nodded. “With A’Daire on the loose it’s the right course of action. I suggest you go through Cat Grant to implement Kara’s protection. She’ll resist it unless it is forced on her.”

Supergirl nodded in agreement but there was no way she was happy about the news since it was going to make her life as Kara Danvers, and therefore her job as a reporter, more difficult. Most of the high-level DEO staff knew her secret identity so she could slip away from her protection without it causing an incident but it was still a complication, one Alex added to by suggesting Cat Grant force the issue. From the stare down she was getting from her sister, Kara wasn't happy but it had been a way to establish a separation between her and Supergirl. 

Lucy continued. “Next order of business, Agent Danvers, I’ve reinstated all your higher level clearance. This means all the details in the case files are available to you.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me just make sure you do the job.”

“Now, Mr. Schott,” J’onn interjected, “Would you please update us on the information Joe West provided to Supergirl?”

“Umm, sure. So here is the thing. In theory, this holds water but we are limited until we can pull more Intel on what exactly these witnesses saw.”

Winn was starting at the end instead of the beginning. It was a quirk of his, one that the young man was finding hard to break. Before Alex could correct his error of explanation, Maggie interrupted, “Playing catch up here." 

“Same,” Supergirl said, as she leaned forward in her chair. “What was on that drive?”

“New witness accounts to the murders that Detective Sawyer was investigating,” Winn offered.

Maggie shook her head. “I canvased the areas surrounding all the crimes scenes myself. I spoke to every witness, sometimes multiple times.”

Lucy interjected. “At the end of the day, you are still a police officer working for the NCPD. The Meta and Alien communities have trust issues with police, even with ones that have your reputation as an ally.”

“However,” J’onn added. “Joe trusts Maggie and the alien community trusts Supergirl. I think we find a way to send you both in and re-interview these witnesses and see if there are even more details they didn’t think to add. This will aid Mr. Schott in his work.”

“You want to send them into the field together?” Alex questioned. There was a selfish upside to this plan. Maggie would be protected with Supergirl at her side and they would make a good investigative pairing but Alex couldn’t help but worry what the outcome of those two working together would mean for her personal life. Things were complicated enough without her sister spending added time with Maggie. 

“I’m game if Supergirl is.” Maggie offered as she leaned back in her chair.

“Count me in,” Supergirl agreed. “What specifically are we looking to follow up on?”

“Continue, Mr. Schott.”

“Umm, well, how do I put this?”

J’onn rose an eyebrow as his voice deepened. “Just say it, Mr. Schott.”

Winn shrugged, “Portals.”

“Portals?” Maggie and Supergirl asked in unison. 

Alex was impressed with how Maggie was able to make it sound like the first time she heard about it.

Winn nodded. “Before what happened with A’Daire, Vasquez cataloged the contents of the drive turned over to Supergirl. The witnesses that spoke to Mr. West seemed to indicate that the reason our killers weren’t ever seen coming or going was that they could appear and disappear through,” Winn glanced down at the tablet and then drew air quotes with his hands, “Circle like, balls of light.”

Lucy waved. “Run us through the accounts, Mr. Schott.”

Winn did what was asked of him, breaking down each and every witness account including the details surrounding some kind of organic, as some described it, or technological, as others called it, swirls of energy that the suspects walked through. In most cases people thought their eyes were playing tricks on them when they glanced outside or around a corner, having heard a commotion, to see people disappearing through a spiraling something or other and leaving death behind.

The hour went by quickly and was capped off with Lucy changing the subject. “Our next order of business is new footage from the park. Due to the detailed nature of the recording and your limited clearance I need to ask you to leave, Detective.”

Maggie had already been collecting herself as Lucy spoke. “I’ve got a physical therapy appointment. I’ll reach out to West and try and set up something for Supergirl and I. I’ll be touch. I assume I just call here?”

Winn raised his hand. “Just call me. I’ll get her to you.”

“What he said,” Supergirl said, with a smile.

“Will do.”

As the door to the office closed, Alex braced herself for another showing of the video. There were a million other things she wished she could have been doing but at least by seeing it with the rest of the group she now had a plausible official reason to investigate things based on what she had already watched with Maggie. From the way J’onn was watching her, Alex was certain he knew she had seen it because Oracle had leaked it to her. If he did, he kept her secret. 

-

There had been a new tension between her sister and Maggie and Kara wanted to know why. She had tried to speak with Alex when the meeting ended but she had bolted under the guise of having to check in with Caitlin about Vasquez.

With a deadline looming for CatCo, Kara wasn’t able to wait around for her sister. So she gave up trying to get answers and ventured into the office, avoiding her boss and the drama she knew would come with seeing Cat. A run in would only turn into a ridiculous dance that Kara wasn’t in the mood for as Cat would play up the need for a protection detail for Kara Danvers while being passive aggressive over the knowledge that she knew Kara's true identity. Kara had work to do and she would focus on that instead. 

After her article that continued the coverage of the Meta communities reaction to A'Daire's escape was finished, Kara sent it via email. Before Cat had a chance to beckon her to the office for notes, Kara exited the building. She supposed she could have just gone home to her empty apartment and hid out or flown around and tried to find any clue to A'Daire's whereabouts, but Kara decided on a different path. If Alex wasn't going to open up about things with Maggie then maybe the detective would reveal something instead. It wouldn't be all about snooping on her sister. FInding A'Daire and the people responsible for the murders was a priority while getting insight into the tension between Alex and Maggie was just a bonus.

Arriving at the nondescript brick building Supergirl wasn’t empty-handed. Knocking on Maggie’s door while carrying two file boxes of housewares seemed silly but Supergirl knew Maggie needed stuff and it was all just sitting unused in a storage room in her building. When Kara had taken over Alex’s lease, during her sister’s self-destructive phase, most of her stuff was left behind. So Kara had donated or stored most of her own belongings. She didn't need two toasters or six sets of flatware. It was silly to bring some of it to Maggie but it was also practical.

As the door opened Maggie’s eyes went wide. “Hi, Supergirl, what brings you by?”

“Wanted to see if you had gotten a hold of Joe West.”

“I did,” Maggie answered, drawing out each word with a healthy dose of suspicion added to both syllables. “And the boxes? New files to review?”

“Actually, no,” Supergirl explained, “Some housewares I wasn’t using that I thought might come in handy.”

Maggie stared at the boxes as one might a clown shopping at a grocery store. “Did you really fly over here with dishes and glassware?”

“I did. There is also a toaster and some really uninteresting coffee mugs.”

Maggie shook her head, disbelief, and a smile on her face. “Nice of you but you didn’t have to.”

“All just extra stuff I had that was collecting dust in storage.”

“I have so many questions but I’ll just say thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Supergirl laughed, suddenly worried she had overstepped while also charmed by the woman's unspoken curiosity. “If I’ve come at a bad time, I can check in with you...”

“My armed babysitter got me back here safe and sound,” Maggie interrupted and then moved out of the way. “and now I’m just debating my dinner options. It’s nonstop excitement but you’re welcome to come in.”

Supergirl made her way into the apartment and then took it upon herself to shut the door so Maggie didn’t have to struggle with it. “How did your PT go?”

“You can report back to Agent Danvers I didn’t assault any lockers today.”

The comment had meaning. Alex must have clued Maggie in on her concern following what Supergirl saw at the DEO. “I asked her a couple things after we spoke.”

“No worries, Supergirl. I know you two are close and you obviously know about our complicated relationship. Agent Danvers can just be pushy when she wants to be and that isn't always a pleasant experience.”

The way Maggie was talking about things with Alex made Supergirl sad. The pair cared for one another, Alex in a way her sister had never witnessed before. Supergirl supposed after all this time and with two headstrong and cautious women there were bound to be difficulties. At least it explained why Alex seemed off earlier in the day. “You’ve got a lot of people pulling for you.”

“Noted,” Maggie acknowledged and then moved into the kitchen to grab a bottle of what looked to be ice tea from the counter. “So West is going to see what he can do about getting us access to some of the eyewitnesses but he said he can’t make any promises.”

Supergirl continued into the living space, placing the boxes down. “Anything he might be able to do would be appreciated.”

“If he can help, he will. Joe is a good man.”

“I got that impression when we met.”

“In my short time with NCPD he’s been upfront with me and stepped up when I need allies for folks that needed his kind of help."

“The community is lucky to have him and you.”

“Is there anything else?” Maggie asked, while expertly dodging the compliment.

Supergirl wasn’t entirely sure why she was even considering pulling Maggie into this part of the investigation. It would be easy to skip a step and go to Oracle directly but for some reason, her instincts were telling her Maggie was the perfect person to help locate the shadowy figure responsible for the sonic wave that sent Supergirl careening into Maggie that day in the park. “Exactly there is.”

“Okay,” Maggie replied, suspiciously.

Supergirl slid from her boot the burner phone she carried when she was in her suit. Opening the photo library she then handed it over. “I need help locating this woman.”

“Beautiful but seems a little Goth for you, Supergirl.” Maggie’s attempt at humor nearly made Supergirl blush.

“She isn’t a missed connection," the hero replied, attempting to match the detective's lighthearted tone. "I have reason to believe she is the person responsible for what happened to me in the park.”

“Why?”

“A source was able to sneak that image from some top level government types who aren’t that interested in sharing with the DEO.”

“Don’t they know withholding anything from the investigation makes the job harder?”

“For some reason, they don’t seem to care.”

There was a fire in Maggie's eyes. “Cover up?”

“Maybe.”

“This woman set off the blast?”

“My source thinks she might be the source of the blast.”

“A meta?”

“Or alien.”

Supergirl watched as the Detective's skills kicked in. Maggie paced, as best she could with her injuries. Her voice at a quick clip as the words flowed. “We should start with Oracle. Have the photo run through the facial recognition software she created. It's better than anything those tech nerds at the DEO or social media has available to them. Also, let's show it to Joe. If she did set it off with a power that would be a unique enough skill set that maybe someone has heard things. It tends to be hard to stay in the dark when you are one in a million and start showing off.”

The end of the statement seemed as pointed at Supergirl as their new mystery criminal. 

“That sounds good.” Supergirl knew her final request might be a step too far but she asked anyway. “Beyond them, can we keep this between us? For now.”

Maggie nodded rather quickly. “I understand. You don’t want to burn your source.”

“That’s a piece of it. I’m also worried about Agent Danvers. Granted you’ve got a vested interest in this and maybe I’m risking things by pulling you in but with A’Daire running loose, Vasquez recovering, plus your injuries and ‘complicated’ relationship, well, her plate is pretty full.”

“Won’t exactly ease those complications keeping something from her?”

“I know. And if it’s too much to ask we can forget I even brought this up.”

“I don’t mind another pity assignment. It keeps me from getting bored," Maggie added as she took another sip from the bottle of tea in her hand.

“This isn’t a pity assignment.”

“You could have sent this over to Oracle and left me out of it.”

“Yes, I could have. Look, Alex, Agent Danvers, like you, is an investigator but she's got too much on her plate right now. My work with the DEO is simply muscle wrapped with compassion. I don't have either of your skill sets. You’ve got great instincts and know how to work every angle, especially in the Meta community. With you, I feel like there is a shot at locating this woman. That's why I want your help. Are you in?”

“Absolutely.”

“And you’re okay keeping things quiet for now.”

“For now. Yes.” Maggie stared at the photo for a moment and then crossed to her phone, which was sitting on the small kitchen table. “Let’s find ourselves a mystery woman.”

—-

Having broken down and allowed the Medical Team to give her some pain management, Alex’s ribs still ached but nothing like earlier in the day. Her anxiety was still high and a real work out, to calm herself, was out of the question. She had tried using the sauna but as good as the heat felt, the silence only made Alex dwell on all the complications and disappointments swirling around in her life at the moment. Even keeping her skills up at the range had been a failure since holding her arm up for more than a single clip was too painful.

Not wanting to go home to an empty apartment, Alex nearly swallowed her pride and went to Maggie’s to try and explain why she was so upset but instead, she opted to hunker down at her desk and try to dissect the videos from Oracle in a more scientific and less emotional way. She had seen it enough times that it should have been a simple task but Alex was failing miserably at being detached. She was pausing, rewinding, making notes on her tablet, drinking coffee at an hour well passed when that was a good idea and still expect to sleep. It was hours of rinse and repeat. The stress ball that sat in the corner of her desk was being gripped and released in a way that had her sister been the one doing it would have resulted in it being ground to dust.

Sure, her work with the DEO was often filled with adrenaline but a large part of the job was the kind of detail work that helped break a case. This was the part of the job that reminded Alex of her first passion, science. Mythotical and often times frustrating, there was no running or jumping or hitting. It was all searching for needles in giant haystacks.

Alex had been so engrossed in the work that she didn’t hear Lucy enter the office. She had no idea how long she was there when a very loud clearing of Lucy’s throat turned Alex’s attention away from the notepad she had been jotting on.

“Do you need something?” Alex tossed at Lucy, annoyed by the interruption.

“I came to check on you.”

“I’m all good. Just trying to crack this case.”

“You should be resting.”

“And I will but right now I’m working.”

“I can see that.”

“Thanks for dropping in. Have a good night," Alex's tone was pointed, meant to be as respectfully dismissive as possible.

Walking into Alex’s makeshift office, Lucy closed the door behind her. The co-director looked like she was heading to Kara’s for game night instead of running a top secret government organization. She was dressed in jeans and an oversized Metropolis sweatshirt neither of which part of the DEO dress code. “You can talk to me.”

Alex started to interrupt but was stopped by Lucy’s insistence.

“Let me finish. Last year, I saw firsthand what happens when someone important to you is in danger or needs help. You move heaven and earth. Problem is this case is at a standstill and so you feel powerless, desperate for answers. I understand what’s going through your mind, we are very similar in that way, but you can’t bury yourself in this. It will make everything harder.”

“I’m fine, really.”

“Don’t look at your watch." 

Alex's eyebrows rose at the statement. “What?”

“Don’t look at your watch and tell me what time it is.”

“It’s like, seven, and, yes, I skipped dinner and settled for a bag of almonds.”

“Try again, Alex. It’s nearly ten." Despite having proved her point, Lucy's tone wasn't triumphant but instead soft, caring. "The only reason I’m still here is I’m living in a room on the sixth floor since I’m still without a place in town but you have a home. A life outside of these walls. You can’t be the protector all the time. You’ve got to get some balance.”

“Look, I understand you are trying to help but while you’ve been off dealing with bureaucrats we’ve been here dealing with people hell-bent on destroying lives. My way of dealing with that kind of evil hasn’t changed since you were folded into the DEO.”

“But you have a new kind of personal stake in this one.”

Alex didn't like the implication. “Lucy, I’ve had a personal stake in hundreds of them especially since Kara joined this fight. Don’t mistake dedication for anything but that.”

“This feels different, Alex.”

“I’m not sure you can be an objective observer.” The veiled reference meant walking them down a road Alex didn't need, nor want, to walk but if it stopped the conversation Alex would play the card.

It hadn't worked. Lucy wasn't deterred. “A near-death experience which led to us having too many drinks, sharing too many stories, and then having a clumsy one night stand isn’t clouding my assessment of this situation.”

Alex had to hand it to Lucy she was bold. “And yet here you are... look, I don’t want to talk about this.”

“You don’t have much choice, Alex.”

“Don’t you mean, Agent Danvers?”

Lucy laid a hand on Alex's shoulder. “I’m not here as your boss, Alex. I’m here as your friend.”

For a brief second, the compassion felt good but Alex needed to remain focused. She reached over and removed Lucy's hand from her shoulder. Her ribs let her know it had been a bad idea. “One that doesn't' know me very well if you think that what happened to Maggie and Susan would make me more upset than seeing my sister brought under the influence of red kryptonite or nearly killed by her own aunt, or by me.”

“Your sister was also brought out of the sky that day in the park. Kara is a piece of this just as much as what A'Daire and her employers did to Detective Sawyer and Susan. And you are also a part of this Alex."

"My ribs will heal."

"That's not what I'm referring too. You feel things very deeply and your blind determination on this could do more harm than good.”

The comment struck Alex hard but there was no way she was going to let Lucy know it. “You really don’t know me.”

“I think I do. I think Detective Sawyer walking back into your life, under such high stakes and at a time when you least expected it, she has you on shaky ground.”

“Your concern is noted. Now I’ve got work to finish.”

“Alex, please listen.”

“To what? More questions using those tactics the military taught you about interrogating a suspect.”

Lucy turned Alex's chair so they were fully facing one another and then leaned down to her level. “No, to someone who is worried about you and wants to be here for you if you need to talk. Not as your boss and with no strings.”

The fear in Lucy’s voice was surprising and the concern genuine but Alex was determined to remain steadfast. “I’m grateful for the offer and I promise if I start to feel lost on this I’ll reach out for help. In the meantime, It’s under control.”

Lucy stood up to her full height. Her eyes filled with concern. Alex knew the discussion wasn't over but perhaps she had bought herself some time. “I’m going to hold you to that. Don’t stay up working on things much longer. The team needs you well rested and at the top of your game. This will get worse before we close the book on this investigation and there are enough good people out of commission at the moment. The DEO needs you sharp.”

The focus returning to her work settled Alex almost immediately. “I’ll head home soon.”

“As your superior officer, Alex, make sure you do or I’ll not only place you back on the no access list but you will find yourself tied to a desk until this case is complete.”

“You wouldn’t.”

Lucy didn't even take up the challenge. “Good night, Alex.”


End file.
